The Constitutional Costs of the ‘Catalyst of Integration’: A Study on the European Council, Institutional Balance, and Judicial Review

European Council – Political and informal role – European Council as formally bound by the principle of institutional balance yet challenging it – Prohibition for the European Council to exercise legislative functions – Multiannual Financial Framework – Creation of Next Generation EU – Suspension of the enforcement of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation – Political directions becoming de facto binding – Formal lack of legally binding effects leading to absence of scrutiny by the Court of Justice – Inconsistency between Treaty law and institutional practice