The European Union has asked member states to close their borders. Why? "For two reasons," explains Eleanor Spaventa, professor of European Union Law at Bocconi. "The first is that the EU and the Commission have realized that citizens need to feel the closeness of Europe’s institutions, after, for example, Christine Lagarde's gaffe. A concrete gesture was therefore needed". Secondly, "the Commission is concerned that many member states have already chosen to close their borders, which is why, in its communication, it asked the member states to nonetheless create privileged corridors for goods".