The Relation Between EU Law and the Constitutions of Member States in the Context of National Identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55073/2025.1.179-193Keywords:
principle of supremacy, EU law, constitutions of Member States, hierarchy of norms, legal systemsAbstract
The question on the relation between EU law and the constitutions of Member States is and has been a crucial question in the interplay or collaboration between national Constitutional Courts. The Court in Luxembourg maintains its doctrine on overall supremacy of EU law, but some constitutional courts disagree. The author will show, especially with regard to selected countries, like Croatia, how some constitutional courts elaborate their stand on the matter. For example, the Croatian Constitutional Court only briefly stated that the Constitution is above EU law, without any explanation. Other constitutional courts dealt with this issue more methodically and through various decisions through time. There are serious issues regarding the principle of supremacy and the relation of EU law and constitutional provisions of the constitutions of Member States, especially in those cases in which the respective constitutional court established its constitutional identity doctrine. Therefore, the author will try to show what is (or should be) the argumentation on this matter.
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