National and Supranational Principle in the Current Political Attitudes of the European Union

The European Union is currently confronted with a number of challenges that have a major impact on its functioning. The primary problem seems to be a contradiction between the national and supranational principle. Some member states are critical towards the efforts of Brussels to concentrate in its hands even more decision-making power and to strengthen (in some cases to absolute) supranational principle when depredating the competences of member states. This policy raises conflicts of jurisdiction between Brussels and some member states which are defending the national principle. This discrepancy between the national and supranational principle is now taking up the ideological dimension, which appears to be one of the sources of the current Community crisis. Its concrete manifestations are not only the emergence and growth of the influence of Eurosceptic political parties, the decision of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, but also the efforts of Poland, Hungary and other member states to strengthen the national principle. The criticism of current political practice in Brussels signals that the European Union is facing the necessity of its reform.