26 May 2026 - As part of their visit to Croatia, the delegation from the Court of Justice of the European Union, led by its President Koen Lenaerts, visited the Constitutional Court today. On this occasion, President Staničić again emphasised the importance of dialogue between the two courts for the effective protection of fundamental rights and the preservation of common values. Although previously rather restrained, the Croatian Constitutional Court now initiates preliminary ruling proceedings whenever it considers this necessary, thereby positioning itself not only as the guardian of the Croatian constitutional order, but also as an active participant in the European judicial dialogue and in the shaping of European Union law. President Lenaerts stressed that the EU depends on the proper functioning of national courts, as well as on the fact that, through constitutional courts, the European Court gains insight into national constitutional traditions, which are not merely theoretical but living traditions. In this way, on the one hand, the CJEU deepens its understanding of national constitutional traditions and is enabled to interpret the EU Charter in harmony with them, while on the other hand Member States are able to contribute to European Union law through their Constitutions. Both sides agreed that the success of this cooperation lies in mutual respect, judicial self-restraint, and the desire to preserve a balance between integrations and constitutional diversity.
