Bonding with borders

In the aftermath of the Czech EU presidency which promised to push for a "Europe without barriers" and ended on a mixed note in June, Europe is still characterized by two types of borders: slowly expanding external borders, which are the subject of ongoing debate, and internal borders that are still going strong, notwithstanding any news to the contrary. Europe is still divided into member states, but at least the cost of communicating between countries has rolled back a little. As of the 1st of July, roaming charges for mobile phone calls and text messages are subject to new legislation which will cut tariffs for 500 million Europeans, regardless of their location within the European Union.

On 30 June, the day before the Czech presidency ended, the German constitutional court opted to approve Germany's ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, but on condition that a new law be established to to define and safeguard the powers of the Bundestag with regard to European institutions. As Tageszeitung reported, the ruling was further evidence of a resurgence "of nationalist sentiment that is increasingly common among member states," which once again raises the question of the poorly defined relationship between national and European citizenship.

Finally, Gazeta Wyborcza notes that in the Netherlands, the government is evaluating a plan to introduce integration classes for migrants from other European countries, similar to those already established for foreigners from outside the Union. The report in the Polish daily goes on to criticize a tendency to set aside commitments to the mobility of citizens and workers from elsewhere Europe in the light of the increased competition for jobs prompted by the the current financial crisis.

With the announcement that the accession of Turkey will be a priority, Sweden, which took over the EU presidency on 1st July, has shown where it stands on the issue of EU external borders. At the same time, it would also do well to dust off the Czech Republic motto of "Europe without barriers," in the hope that one day it might just become a reality.