Sovereignty Versus Solidarity : A Case Study on the Border Controls in Sweden Following the 2015 Refugee Crisis in the EU

Abstract: This thesis explores how the concepts of sovereignty and solidarity are affected by and influence each other within the institutional framework of the European Union. It does so by conducting a case study of the border controls that were implemented in Sweden during the refugee crisis of 2015 and utilizing a theoretical framework based on the theories of Europeanisation and De-Europeanisation. The theories explain the integration and de-integration processes that can happen between supranational and national actors. Examining data in the form of policy documents from the Swedish government, the thesis employs the method of qualitative content analysis which aims at identifying the rhetoric surrounding refugees, the cooperation of Sweden and the EU, as well as border controls in a condensed time period from May to December of 2015. The thesis finds that in line with existing academic debates, sovereignty and solidarity are both ambiguous concepts that are applied in a various of contexts; the data reflects infringements on sovereignty on the basis of solidarity as well as statements claiming that sovereignty is a fundamental principle of multilateral cooperation.