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  5. Constitutional Identity and the Primacy of EU Law: Conflict, Balance, and Limits

Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026), pages 50–56.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2026-17-50-56

Strasburher O., Śniadach O.
Constitutional Identity and the Primacy of EU Law: Conflict, Balance, and Limits

This article explores the relationship between constitutional identity and the principle of the primacy of European Union law, focusing on the tensions, limits, and mechanisms of balance between national and EU legal orders. Through an analysis of key judgments of national constitutional courts and the CJEU, the article shows how constitutional identity is invoked to protect core elements of state sovereignty and constitutional structures, while remaining subject to limitations derived from EU law. Ultimately, the article concludes that maintaining a balance between constitutional identity and EU primacy requires mutual accommodation: the CJEU must respect national constitutional specificities, while national courts must exercise restraint and uphold their obligations under EU law.

Keywords: сonstitutional identity, national identity, Сonstitutional Court, European Union, principle of primacy.

References

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  3. Barcik J., The rule of law as an element of European constitutional identity, Repository of the University of Wrocław.
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  7. Consolidated Version of the Treaty on European Union (2016/C 202/01).
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  9. The German Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG) Honeywell decision of 6 July 2010 (2 BvR 2661/06).
  10. Polish Constitutional Tribunal’s decision of 24 November 2010 (K 32/09), OTK-A 2010, 9, position 108.
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  13. Case C-156/13 Digibet Ltd and Gert Albers v Westdeutsche Lotterie GmbH & OHG, ECLI: EU:C:2014:1756.
  14. Case C-490/20 М. А. v Stolichna obshtina, rayon ‘Pancharevo’, ECLI:EU:C:2021:1008.
  15. Case C-448/23, European Commission Republic of Poland ECLI:EU:C:2025:975.

Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 10.03.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 09.04.2026
Дата публікації: 30.04.2026

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