Bundesverfassungsgericht (2 BvE 2/08): "We want our identity back" - the revival of national sovereignty in the German Federal Constitutional Court's decision on the Lisbon Treaty

Reflects on the German Federal Constitutional Court ruling in Bundesverfassungsgericht (2 BvE 2/08) on whether the powers granted to EU institutions by the Treaty of Lisbon 2007 were compatible with German constitutional law. Reviews the conflicting responses to the ruling, the court's reasoning on sovereign powers and its conclusion on whether EU structures prevent further German integration. Discusses its approach to the judicial institutions responsible for integration and suggests that its findings on the EU democracy deficit and national sovereignty are inconsistent and indefensible.