Margaret Thatcher’s fixation on national borders played a fundamental role in the making of the Schengen regime.

For nearly twenty years, the Schengen policy regime has guaranteed freedom of movement throughout much of the EU. Ruben Zaiotti reflects on former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s opposition to Schengen: opposition which was based on a fixation on national borders and the apparent protection that they provide. He writes that in light of these criticisms, Schengen’s architects designed the regime to have the flexibility to cope with political turbulence and Euroscepticism, ensuring its success.