“Identity and values in the European union: the role of the ‘rule of law’ in the construction of a European identity”

The reference to values has assumed an increasing role in the construction of European identity. The values enshrined by the article 2 of the Lisbon Treaty establish an internal and external conditionality principle that guides the political action of the European Institutions and the definition of the “European way of life”. Among the values set out in Article 2, the institutions have paid particular attention to the principle of the rule of law, certainly one of the most controversial values in the recent experience of the European Union. Over the last three years, the European Commission has published a Report on the Rule of Law, with the aim of monitoring of positions taken by some Member States. In an attempt to address such violations, as of 2021, the EU budget has an additional layer of protection in cases where violations of the principles of the rule of law affect or risk affecting the EU's financial interests.