Performing Borders: Exceptions, Security and Symbolism in Portuguese Borders Control

The paper addresses the increasing importance of securitization processes within the framework of the Schengen Convention by dealing with the specific situation of “exceptional border closing.” The case is that of the Portuguese territory, which was closed in 2010 for a major political event, the Lisbon NATO Summit. In specific situations like this one, the border is a theatrical stage on which both the state and people are actors playing to national citizens and the international community. Through the analysis of this specific case I will discuss some of the circumstances and strategies that states are using to re-border, the political consequences regarding state sovereignty over its polity and territory and some implications regarding mobility rights. Throughout the paper I will discuss how reinstating internal border controls has raised some concerns over the Schengen regime itself. The data are the result of intensive research into the Portuguese state’s discourse on security and borders, an analysis of media coverage of the 2010 Lisbon NATO Summit and fieldwork conducted during the summit.