12 member countries
To explain this decision, Donald Tusk – however of a centrist party – agitates the question of the influx of irregular migrants crossing the border from Lithuania. As for Germany, the return of controls sounds like a return of stick after the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, decided upon his power in early May to harden border controls.
Poland and Germany are far from being the only two countries to have reintroduced controls at their borders. In the Schengen area, 10 other countries have made a similar decision. This therefore relates to 12 member countries out of 29 in total. The reasons are quite diverse. Starting with Spain. Not present on the attached map, the country nevertheless reorganizes at present border controls. But only for a big week (until July 5), because of the organization of an important conference on its soil.
What rules for Schengen members?
For the other 11 member countries of the Schengen space, controls – although still temporary – are restored for a period of six months, the maximum duration for a measure supposed to be temporary. Because members cannot do what they want. At least in theory. Among the rules, the measure must be taken in the event of a serious threat to public order or national security. It must also be notified to the European Commission and must undergo an assessment as to “the need and proportionality of this decision “.
But the proliferation which is attended at the moment seems to demonstrate a certain flexibility of these rules. For Martin Deleixhe, lecturer at the ULB in the Department of Political Science, it is caused by the fact that “Member States have decided to have an interpretation that was extremely wide“.
With the risk of getting hit on the fingers? Not really, according to him. “”In the current political climate, the European Commission, itself setting up a strong repressive agenda in terms of immigration, is not inclined to intervene. 20 years ago, she would probably have reminded countries, which more or less violate the rules“He believes.
Immigration, the main reason?
Because immigration is indeed a particularly popular reason for many countries where controls are surfaced. Between potential terrorist threat or massive wave of “irregular migration“, The word immigration is present in the explanation of eight member countries (see map).”What is particularly challenging is that we see xenophobia appear in the etymological sense of the term, that is to say the fear of the foreigner“, Martin deleixhe ascertains.
A desire to contain yourself which, according to him, benefits from the far right. “”For nationalists, it is a victory on two paintings“He confirms.”It is a way of designating migrants as a public problem and going back to the European Union by recovering exclusive skills at the national level.“
However, it is not just nationalist parties that make the decision to reinstate border controls. To resume the example of Poland, “It is no coincidence of calendar if Tusk made this decision shortly after the victory of the ultra -nationalist party to the presidential elections“, he observes. A way of”copy pale the extreme right“Who, according to him, may not bear fruit.
Fin de Schengen?
Are we therefore heading towards the end of the Schengen space? “”Not impossible“Replies Martin Deleixhe. “But it is not the most likely. Because there are massive economic interests behind the survival of the Schengen space.“
He nevertheless confirms that “What remains is the utilitarian side“From the Schengen area: travel without passport and without reaching borders too much and fluidifying the transport of goods.”The risk today is to have controls that work on an ethnic profiling system aimed at visible minorities“, he fears. Because going back to systematic controls seems”difficult to imagine“In the current free-circulation era.
