The paper seeks to contribute to mapping current (potential) transformations in cross-border institutional activity and understanding the mechanisms of the changed geo-political environment taking place in Europe since 2015. The specific focus will be on institutional reactions to re-bordering policies, such as the erection of walls or re-introduction of border controls within the Schengen area and the border closures that occurred during the Covid -19 pandemic. The paper presents the results of fieldwork at three European borders (Austria/Germany, Sweden/Denmark and Hungary/Serbia/Croatia) investigating what Euroregions and other cross-border institutions said when borders reappeared in their midst, and whether there was convergence around resistance, or tensions leading to quiet compliance. The paper demonstrates how local actors were constrained by complex geopolitical and national interest narratives, and that local responses could take a variety of formats.