Slovenian President receives President of German Federal Constitutional Court

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, today received the President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, Andreas Voßkuhle, who is visiting Slovenia on the occasion of Constitutionality Day. Mr Pahor and Mr Voßkuhle focused their talks on the future of Europe and on the need to strengthen the legal foundations supporting the current architecture of the European Union.

Mr Voßkuhle first presented the role of the German Federal Constitutional Court with regard to certain issues of the European Union, particularly in relation to intergovernmental agreements and the decisions of the European Council that strengthen the integration of the European Union. He presented the case of the adoption of the European Stabilisation Mechanism (ESM), in which the German Federal Constitutional Court played a very important role by providing interpretations which have made the ESM much more structured.

Mr Pahor assessed that the role of national constitutional courts is of key importance in the process of further integrating the European Union, as without a proper anchor in a constitutional court a fast political process could take the wrong direction. He emphasised that the key to the future integration of Europe lies in a new political form which will be based on a new (sui generis) legal solution and will strive to balance the federal principle and the maintenance of national identity. Mr Pahor and Mr Voßkuhle agreed that a wide discussion needs to be held on these issues immediately after the European elections in May 2014.


Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA