
Haparanda-Torneo rail bridge from the Swedish border. Photo: Andreas Lakso.
Okategoriserade Baltic borders during Corona – a story of unintended geopolitics
The outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic has led to a number of legal measures, varying in time and space, over the Baltic Sea area and neighboring states. But the actual distribution of the pandemic does not necessarily follow the administrative territories that form the statistical basis for decisions. While usually defined for specific territories (whole states or administrative areas), the effects on peoples’ daily behavior have been particularly strong in the borderlands. In March 2020, suddenly a sharp line was created along the hitherto almost invisible border between Tornio-Haparanda, Finnish police and border guards checked the line, and only a few people were admitted to cross, based on strict definition of purpose. The reason for the closure was a high incidence of illness and deaths in Sweden.
Published on balticworlds.com on December 1, 2020
‘The civilized states of Europe recognize each other definitely as members of a region, in which the exchange is necessary, and where adjacent states have to deal with each other even if they are enemies, that they only close their borders against dangerous plagues.’
Friedrich Ratzel, 1897.[1]
Pandemics and medical geopolitics
The outbreak of the Corona virus pandemic has led to a number of legal measures, varying in time and space, over the Baltic Sea area and neighboring states. But the actual distribution of the pandemic does not necessarily follow the administrative territories that form the statistical basis for decisions.
While usually defined for specific territories (whole states or administrative areas), the effects on peoples’ daily behavior have been particularly strong in the borderlands. Since shortly after World War II, the borders of the Nordic states have been open, and while each state has its own legislation, the hindrances against border trespassing have been minimal. Differences in legislation, especially concerning taxation of goods and services have even in many cases been causes for boundary interaction, both legal and illegal. The dissolution of the Soviet Union has also led to the debordering of state territories, especially in the Baltic countries joining the European Union.
Shortly after the European outbreak of the pandemic, the states of northwestern Europe took different measures to hamper its effects. While Sweden followed the advice of its Public Health Agency, based on general advice to the public and no formal lockdowns or border closures, the neighboring countries took to more drastic measures including the closure of the state boundaries, especially towards Sweden. Norway closed its long border, but eventually opened towards certain administrative districts, based on a lower incidence of corona infections within that area, while other Swedish provinces were “sealed” irrespective of where in the area the outbreak occurred. Openings led to a heavy influx of Norwegians to the border shopping centers of Sweden with their lower prices on certain products, often followed by a quick lockdown, then a more definite closure. The result has been a number of bankruptcies in Sweden but also a boom in the stores in the Norwegian borderland now freed from their low-price competitors in Sweden. Restrictions also affect many Norwegian summer house and flat owners in Sweden, and has caused tensions between and within the two nationalities. Denmark has changed its corona restrictions several times, while Sweden kept its policy based on individual responsibility, leading at times to an influx of Danes to Malmö, but the border has been guarded since the 2015 influx of refugees.
While Sweden’s border relations with Norway and Denmark had strong economical and psychological consequences, the most emotional effects can be seen in Sweden’s relations to Finland. In two areas, the Torne Valley and the Åland Islands, cross border relations are based on linguistic and ethnic affinities and overlapping – in the case of Åland also with significant economic connections and consequences.
The Åland archipelago, located in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland, a Swedish speaking, autonomous and demilitarized territory in Finland, is closely linked to Sweden though economic bonds and its international shipping operations that dominates the tax-free based ferry services on the routes between Sweden, Åland and Finland. The very strict closure of contacts with Sweden has thus been devastating to much of the island’s economy. Åland’s GDP is thus expected to decline by as much as 15.8% in 2020, compared with the corresponding decline of 5.5% for the Finnish and 4.2% for the Swedish economy.[2]
Tornio-Haparanda – a Siamese twin torn apart
The northern case is different from other Swedish borderlands. The Torne river valley, once inhabited by Finnish speakers and Sámi, was divided in 1809 when the river, with some aberrations, was made the border with the Grand Duchy of Finland, ruled by Russia. The town of Tornio, situated on the western riverbank, was included into Finland, and eventually a ‘suburb’, Haparanda, rose on the Swedish side, separated from Tornio only by a piece of wetland. Now the two towns have grown together, several functions are used in common, and the image of the twins have been to be an example of a well-functioning, bi-ethnic and bi-lingual community.[3]
In March 2020, suddenly a sharp line was created along the hitherto almost invisible border, Finnish police and border guards checked the line, and only a few people were admitted to cross, based on strict definition of purpose. The reason for the closure was a high incidence of illness and deaths in Sweden, almost exclusive in the greater Stockholm area 1000 kilometers away. The life of the local population underwent several turns. On May 14, Finland eased restrictions on work-related crossings of the border, but controls were maintained, affecting e.g. Swedish citizens in Haparanda . Citizens of Finland would be free to free to enter and leave the country, but a voluntary quarantine was recommended. On August 20, Finland eased cross-border traffic towards Sweden and Norway in “the local border communities” where there is a daily or weekly traffic across the state border. For ordinary shopping or the use of other services quarantine is not needed. However, the area of the “border community” beyond the urban parts of Tornio and Haparanda was defined by two state roads parallel to the Torne River, leaving part of villages divided by the road outside of the community, causing uncertainty and irritation. On September 19 Finland opened its border with Sweden, but already a week later it was closed again, due to higher outbreaks in Sweden (but not in the local area). But the exception for border communities was kept, widened on September 24 to inhabitants of the border municipalities of Finland, Sweden and Norway, to cross freely under the general regulations of each country.
In a study published June 28 by the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordkalottens Gränstjänst (The Border Service of the Northern Calotte) the inhabitants of the Torne Valley are not surprisingly worried by the restrictions and by the uncertainties and by negative attitudes towards border crossers and towards the authorities. The local authorities, on their part, are troubled by problems of planning and co-operation, but they see the problems as an indication of the necessity keeping the twin towns together. [4]
Narva – an ethnic Russian outpost in the Estonian borderland
The other border towns of the Baltic Sea area were affected by cross-border restrictions, depending partly on differences in national regulation, but also on the traditions of cross-border contacts and movements- The Narva-Ivangorod case is different to Haparanda-Tornio in that the neighboring states are in certain ways hostile to each other, but similar in that there is a one-sided ethnic overlapping: In Haparanda a strong minority presence of Finns, defined by ethnicity and/or citizenship, in Narva a majority of Russians and Russian speakers, often with strong contacts with the neighboring area of Russia, and with a sizeable number of Narvaites possessing Russian citizenship.[5]
While border crossing was meticulously controlled before the outbreak of the pandemic, there was a sudden change in the conditions for cross-border movements:
“The movement restrictions implemented since midnight of March 17 are making crossing the border from the eastern Estonian city of Narva to Russia almost meaningless because what follows the crossing of the border is a two-week-long quarantine. This will make life difficult for many residents of Narva.
On average, the Narva border crossing point is traversed by about 4,000 pedestrians a day, many of whom are residents of north-eastern Estonian cities who have business or errands in Russia. People go to visit their relatives, the pharmacy, the post office, make money by shipping smaller quantities of goods, or just go shopping. Currently, shopping in Ivangorod (Estonian: Jaanilinn) is particularly cheap due to the low exchange rate of the ruble.[6]
Regular travel to Russia is not possible at the moment – the borders are closed for foreigners. EU citizens are allowed to exit Russia, but not to enter. As an exception, you are allowed to enter if you need to go through special treatment in Russia or take care of your relatives (for the latter you will be permitted to enter once). Russian citizens, who hold dual citizenship or have permanent residence permit in another country, are allowed to exit Russia ONCE to return to their country of residence or for essential travel (studying, work, taking care of relatives.[7]
Subject to the restrictions with effect from March 30:
Among persons who do not show any signs of illness who may cross the border Estonian border into Russia are included persons who permanently reside in the Russian Federation
For crossing from Russia into Estonia, the following rules apply to local border residents: foreign nationals (including Estonian citizens and residents) can leave Russia, Russian citizens residing in Estonia on the basis of a residence permit are admitted to Russia, but they can return to Estonia only after Russia has lifted the restrictions, while Russian citizens and residents of Russia who have their permanent residence in Russia are allowed to return to their place of residence.[8]
Valga and Valka – a town divided on ethnic principles
The Russian railway junction of Walk was divided on ethnic principles in 1920 between Estonia and Latvia. After the Soviet annexation the boundary between the two republics had little significance, and after independence a period of border controls was eased when the two countries joined the European Union. While Estonian Valga and Latvian Valka each have a strong majority of its state-forming ethnicities, they both have a substantial minority of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers.[9] For a long time after the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, the three former Soviet Baltic states had a low incidence of Covid-19. However, with an increase in September in Estonia, Latvia decided to impose quarantine regulations on people entering from the northern neighbor. But an exception was made: Residents of Valga and Valka were allowed to cross without such restrictions.[10]
The home page of the Estonian government:
As of 12 October, the obligation of self-isolation after crossing the border does not extend to people without symptoms who live in the city of Valga or Valka and who move within the boundaries of their local governments during their daily Estonian–Latvian border crossing. The waiver of the isolation obligation makes it possible to maintain a normal way of life in a border twin town. The exception applies regardless of the infection rates in both countries. [11]
While earlier studies indicate that ethnic Estonians and Latvians rarely cross the intra-urban boundary except for instrumental purposes, particularly shopping, the “Russians” since before the independence of the two states often had their local contact spheres in the whole twin town irrespective of the border.
Conclusion
Ratzel’s prophecy has again been fulfilled. States close their borders in order to stop an epidemic. With his background in biology, he saw the necessity of fighting a contagion with political measures. However, the political measures taken along administrative territories have often been badly suited to the actual “Lebensraum” of the disease. The victims of these aberrations – often necessitated by legislation – are often in the borderlands, and particularly in areas of intense spatial behavior across the state border. As unintended acts of geopolitics, they have been rather badly targeted, even if some acts have taken the borderland situation into consideration. The examples from the Baltic area shows different solutionsand effects.
References
[1] Ratzel, Friedrich: Politische Geographie. München und Leipzig: Oldenbourg, 1897.
[2] GDP figures from “Konjunkturläget våren 2020 och coronakrisen” ÅSUB Rapport 2020:1, https://www.asub.ax/sites/www.asub.ax/files/reports/rapport_2020_1_konjunkturlaget_varen_2020_tillganglig.pdf .
[3] Lundén, Thomas, 2019: Border twin cities in the Baltic Area – Anomalies or Nexuses of Mutual Benefit? Twin Cities Urban Communities, Borders and Relationships over Time Edited by John Garrard and Ekaterina Mikhailova Series: Global Urban Studies New York and London: Routledge, 233-237
[4] Information from Hanna-Leena Ainonen, Tornio Haparanda, Rajayhteistyön kehittäjä / Gränssamarbetsutvecklare. Accessed November 6, 2020.
[5] Lundén 2019, 237-240.
[6] https://news.err.ee/1065025/difficult-times-ahead-for-residents-of-narva-due-to-border-closure . [November 11, 2020]
[7] https://vm.ee/en/coronavirus-2019-ncov (Accessed Nov. 11, 2020]
[8] Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, see https://www.politsei.ee/en/instructions/emergency-situation/restrictions-on-the-estonian-russian-border [Accessed Nov. 11, 2020]
[9] Lundén 2019, 240-243.
[10] Baltic News: https://baltics.news/2020/09/10/journalist-border-town-is-happy-about-valka-and-valga-bubble-in-covid-19-regulations/ [Accessed Nov 12, 2020]
[11] https://www.valitsus.ee/en/news/requirements-self-isolation-related-border-crossing-will-change-valga-valka-will-be-subject. [Accessed Nov. 12, 2020]