The establishment of the border-free Shengen area was one of the proudest accomplishments of the EU. It was also genuinely popular - perhaps the only benefit of EU membership that enjoyed wide traction across Europe. Combined with Europe's generally low rail fares (with the exception of the non-Shengen UK) it has formed the free-movement mindset of a whole generation of young Europeans who until recent years had never known anything else. Every resident of the Shengen area owned keenly their right to borderless travel within the zone.
All that ended long before the Wuhan virus. By the end of 2016 Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France Germany and Sweden had already reintroduced border checks because of the migrant crisis. By April 2020 the borders were more closed than they had been in the 1960s. And closed borders have seen the re-emergence of tensions that have not been visible for decades, as Politico EU reports -
In the tiny western region of Saarland, which borders France and Luxembourg, local media have in recent days reported clashes dating back to late March, including cars with French license plates being scratched or pelted with eggs, and Germans yelling: "Fucking Frenchmen, go back to your fucking corona country!"It's all a long way from a hauntingly evocative exhibition of photographs I saw at Amsterdam's Stedelijk in about '91 - of Europe's deserted border posts, with broken or boarded windows, graffiti on the walls and blowsy weeds growing everywhere through the cracks.
The restoration of the free travel area must be high on the EU's agenda, but can it ever go back to its heady millennial heyday? The problem of course is though it serves well the good and just burgers of the Shengen area nations, it serves equally well both illegal migrants and smugglers of contraband. I suspect EU governments would be willing to bear a small amount of leakage for the overwhelming economic benefits it brings, but Germany's open-armed extension to the world's migrants in 2015 blew it. The good burgers of the EU made clear at the ballot box that they were willing to add friction to their free travel if it halted the flood of Iraqis, Afghans, north Africans and migrants from the 'stans turning up with outstretched hands.
And post-Covid air travel looks likely to be so unbearably onerous that it will be shunned by all but the poor benighted commercial gents who will be forced by circumstances to endure a 4-hour check -in for a 90 minute flight, gagged with a face mask the whole time and no trolleys at all. For these stoics, a half-hour queue on arrival to clear immigration will add little pain; like having to walk home in the rain after falling in the river. Two weeks' quarantine for a two hour sales meeting may even kill commercial air travel completely.
Like so many things, the Wuhan virus may end free movement altogether. Yes, I enjoyed it and yes I'll miss mainland Europe without it. It was one of mankind's occasional optimistic forays into practical idealism, those little bubbles of hope that seem inevitably doomed to fail.
16 comments:
Certainly if you read what Sturgeon has said about a different Covid exit to the rest of the UK and possible checks at border crossings, this is manna from heaven for her. Few share her timidity about a quick exit, nor a pseudo form of separation.
It's an issue with some American States as well as many Chinese. And border controls have been set up on roads between Chinese provinces. Same with sea ports in countries like Indonesia where one island's done better than others. Ditto Greece, where some islands have no cases and don't want that to change.
Emirates airlines has a 10 minute test for all passengers, trialed on their Tunisia route.
https://www.emirates.com/media-centre/emirates-becomes-first-airline-to-conduct-on-site-rapid-covid-19-tests-for-passengers/
I think we need to separate air from land travel at the moment. We've all got freighters flying in several times a day/hour as is, though no crew changes (second crew is on board from long haul places). And Greece has announced international flights will resume from end of June, but only selected countries to start with. Air is easy if they get a common agreement, like a quick test before boarding. It doesn't have to be in the airport; probably best outside with no relatives allowed.
For sure no business is going to let employees travel on their account if they're going to spend 3 to 4 hours going through screening. Certainly no senior executive on £3000 a day.
Tourists probably don't care about that, however social distancing in the aircraft will mean very 2nd seat must be empty, so cost will dampen demand.
My point is Schengen for air travellers will hold just fine. For land I doubt it'll work for a long time. And for sea it's likely to mean a whole bunch of seafarers twiddling their thumb's on their vessel.
For cruise passengers, frankly I couldn't care less; they can embark, but the ship is where they'll stay until they get back.
Schengen came in, like the Euro, because business wanted it. It'll be back as soon as possible.
It, Schengen, never went away.
The agreement allows for the closure of borders in exactly these circumstances.
The Scots want to close their border with England too, if there is any more reckless nonsense over C19, and good luck to them.
The Federalists will do all they can to maintain the illusion they are continuing to build their Empire. But in practice, it was already crumbling under the migrant pressure, the Euro and Brexit. And now Wuhan Flu has piled on the pressure.
I suspect, that assuming it survives, in 10 years time, the EU will be split into a two-tier structure. With Schenghen only applying to France, Germany, the Benelux and Denmark.
And yet the EU is fighting tooth & nail to keep the NI - Eire border free and clear of any impediment -- I wonder why?
Given the remorseless haughty sneering about isolationist little englanders, it really is difficult to resist some schadenfreude here.
Maybe the price will be so called "coronabonds" (textbook not letting a crisis go to waste).
So schengen is done then. Water is clearly spilling into the sixth compartment of the euro titanic.
What actual proportion of people actually 'need' a Schengen agreement to move around? Was this a case of convenience for the minority? Statistically speaking of course.
As for air travel I gave up the thought of even attempting it years ago. When boarding a plane, if I saw someone coughing/sneezing I'd just think "fuck, I'm going to get his/her cold now" - I didn't demand a face mask. For 99% of all travellers this is all that it means even now. If you are in the risk category DON'T FLY. But don't consider forcing your scaremongering on to everyone else.
Prior to the 911 scam I was a globe-trotting electronics fixit guy that carried a zip case of tools (screwdrivers, soldering equipment, test equipment etc) as HAND LUGGAGE and apart from the occasional look-see was never bothered by security drones wanting to stop me let alone stick a finger up my arse. Screw that. Covid has given the Government what it wants - more control over a zombie public that now think its normal to wear masks in public. Serves them right for falling for the hype.
On the upside (for me anyway) the expected increase in tourism to my area by people fed up with being treated like cattle by airlines is more business for my curries!
Shengen, too useful. Will come back. In two minds about smuggling. Too useful to crack down on entirely, makes work for coppers and customs and an outlet for entrepreneurial spirits.
The Sage of Omaha has already flogged off all his airline stocks and is still looking at a $50Bn loss, ouch.
"The Public is going to have to learn to live with risk".
Thus speaks The Telegraph this morning. Rather like WW1 generals tucked up in a chateau swilling champagne whilst dishing out orders that will slaughter thousands.
Then we don't hear so much about fancy Apps tracing Covid contacts. This may be why:-
"My problem with contact tracing apps is that they have absolutely no value," Bruce Schneier, a privacy expert and fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, told BuzzFeed News. "I'm not even talking about the privacy concerns, I mean the efficacy. Does anybody think this will do something useful? ... This is just something governments want to do for the hell of it. To me, it's just techies doing techie things because they don't know what else to do." The comments part of his blog rounds out the issues and gives useful insights.
Jim, I wrote about the Oracle too.
I will no doubt keep flying, not so much. Did loads before 911, did more after! On more than one occasion i have had to have jabs, at my expense, at airports due to not having my vaccination 'report card' with me; having a blood test may be next but they will not be able to differentiate between coronas IMHO for quite a while. Temp and other easy quick tests will become standard.
Restrictions for a while and then travel will slowly tick back up to normal as we get vaccine etc, then business pretty much as normal, I'm not stopping travel for me and family regardless of cost.
Not flown international for years. The security theatricals 'do my head in' and I might be tempted to say something inappropriate - which now has consequences.
Thought twice about going on a cruise for fears of the norovirus. Have not been on a train or tube for years because I have has no need.
So anyone in the MSM building up to a childish squeal about limiting peoples' ability to travel can go and do one.
Scotland close the border with England? When I leave my home in Scotland to buy my whisky in Berwick-upon-Tweed the border is one mile away on a farm road. If I take a different route there are several hundred yards where I am in England and my passenger in Scotland as the border runs down the centre of the equally untrafficked lane.
So what will Wee Krankie do – crater the lanes? The farmers hate her already, and she’ll only strengthen the sentiment in the Borders (and Dumfries & Galloway) that they’d be better off in England.
Will Sturgeon close the border to the flow of English money? I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath!
As an aside, I understand that babies born on the border are checked for nationality by throwing then up to the ceiling. If they can hand on up there, they're Scots!
Alternatively the new normal might be:
Large Vitamin D intake for all reducing incidence of all colds and flu.
HCQ+Az+zinc, taken prophylactically by anyone feeling a bit under the weather- 98% reduction in those requiring attention in IC.
Increased focus on Japanese style hygiene, no handshakes, no hugging and frequent handfasting.
Virtue signalling of facemask.wearing on public transport till we get bored of it.
2 year time- pretty much back to normal and deaths from all winter respiratory illnesses much reduced.
I also thought about this question. I think if the collapse occurs, it will further aggravate the economic situation, which is already very fragile at the end of the pandemic. But time will tell how it will be ...
Did you see that when the Swedes closed their borders recently to non-EU countries, they kept them open for migrants and refugees?
https://rmx.news/article/article/sweden-closes-its-borders-over-coronavirus-but-still-welcomes-asylum-seekers
those little bubbles of hope that seem inevitably doomed to fail.
ONLY if you let it happen
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