Covid-19 and free movement restrictions in the Nordic countries – how did Finnish and Swedish MPs justify and criticise border controls?

Abstract

The article analyses political approaches in Finland and Sweden towards free movement restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Border closures were previously unthinkable in the Norden, where borders have been open since the establishment of the Nordic Passport Union in the 1950s. For decades, Nordics have been used to cross borders on a daily basis, especially in the so-called twin cities in the border regions. The article analyses Finnish and Swedish parliamentary debates on the Nordic border restrictions from the perspective of the arguments on the basis of which the restrictions are defended or criticised. While the Finnish MPs supported the restrictions that were considered a direct consequence of Covid-19, the Swedish MPs criticised the other Nordic governments for their uncoordinated restrictions. In both debates, Nordic-free movement is not discussed in connection with EU rules but is seen to precede the establishment of free movement within the European Union.