The “Rule of Law” and the European Union

Abstract

Since the Schuman declaration of 1950, the rule of law has been a cornerstone of the European integration process and of the EU legal order. This founding principle, progressively enshrined in the EU treaties, showed its vitality by acting as an attracting force for new Member States, not necessarily coming from democratic experiences before joining the EU and has obliged the EU institutions to show creativity and determination when faced with rule of law’s crises in the Member States, until the recent proposal by the Commission to tie EU funding to respecting the rule of law in EU Member States.