Narrating Fortress Europe: Politicians’ Border Narratives in European Border Regions

Abstract

The process of European integration is closely linked with how borders are governed. This makes border narratives a revealing lens through which to study stances on European integration and Euroscepticism, including in party politics. This article analyzes how parties in border regions narrated borders during the 2024 European elections, drawing on interviews with candidates and campaigners from four internal EU border regions. Across party families and levels of Euroscepticism, three narratives recur: open internal borders as desirable and beneficial, internal border closures as disruptive of everyday cross-border life, and open internal borders as contingent on stronger control at the EU's external borders. The findings show that internal openness and external control are frequently narrated as mutually dependent. They also suggest that contestation over European integration is often articulated through selective border narratives, in which support for Schengen and free movement can coexist with exclusionary demands for stronger external border control.