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What is the identity of a country that won't accept the identities of others? In the aftermath of this weekend's terrorist attacks in Paris,France, many in Europe are calling for an end to the Schengen Agreement.
The Schengen Agreement, and a treaty originally conceived in 1985 and eventually enforced in 1995,created Europe's borderless Schengen zone—something that allows for passport-free travel throughout Europe.“Schengen is insanity! We enjoy to stop Schengen," Marine Le Pen, and the leader of France's far right National Front Party,told Sky News on Tuesday.
After months of strain on European borders from refugees fleeing war-torn countries, and in the wake of the attacks on Paris, and the decades-worn agreement that has allowed people to chase freely across 26 European countries may be permanently dismantled.
Camino Mortera-Martinez,research fellow and Brussels representative for the Center for European Reform, discusses the history of the Schengen Agreement and its uncertain future.
What you'll learn from this segment:What the Schengen Agreement is and how it came into being.
What might happened to Europe whether the Agreement was abolished.
How tighter borders might impact national identity versus European identity. Map Key:
Blue: EU member states participating
Yellow: EU member states not participating but obliged to join
Pink: EU member states with an opt-out
Green: non-EU member states participating
Orange: non-EU member states de facto participating
Purple: non-EU member states with an open border (European Fiscal Compact/Wikimedia Commons)
Source: wnyc.org