The impact of rebordering on cross-border cooperation actors’ discourses in the Öresund region. A semantic network approach

Abstract

The succession of rebordering shocks that occurred in recent years raises questions about the implications of these (geo)political events for cross-border cooperation. Based on the premise that special attention should be paid to the evolution of ideas pertaining to borders as a forerunner of significant policy changes, this paper seeks to show the extent to which the reintroduction of temporary border controls between Sweden and Denmark since 2015 has changed the meaning cross-border cooperation stakeholders give to the national border crossing the Öresund region. In order to identify ideational shifts in the mindset of cross-border cooperation actors, the multiplicity of meanings concerning borders is captured according to a relational perspective using semantic network analysis. In doing so, an innovative method is proposed. The comparative analysis of actors' collective mental representations of the border in 2014 and 2021 allows us to show the impact of rebordering shocks. If the connecting role of the border is now considered marginal, the opportunities it is likely to represent for the Öresund region's economic growth are still relevant. Moreover, the recognition of a common regional identity also appears to have been strengthened. In the meantime, the idea that the border could be a source of conflict has gained momentum. The increasing recognition of the ambivalence of the border reminds us that a crisis is often a source of new challenges, but also of opportunities.