Against the backdrop of the multiple crises that the EU has faced over the last two decades, this keynote speech, delivered by President Lenaerts to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the EU, examines three areas of EU law in the light of the common values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. First, it assesses the impact of the financial crisis, not only on the legal framework of Economic and Monetary Union but also on primary EU law more broadly. Second, it analyses how the case law relating to the COVID-19 pandemic has helped clarify the limits that may be imposed on free movement in the context of an exceptional public health crisis. Finally, it explores the rule of law crisis, considering its broader implications for understanding the scope and significance of the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU. This threefold examination supports the contention that, while these crises have raised new and complex legal questions – requiring the Court of Justice of the EU to resolve them expeditiously – the Court, in interpreting EU law, must remain respectful of the limits imposed on its jurisdiction by the Treaties and of the foundational values on which the EU is founded.
Koen Lenaerts (Mon,) studied this question.