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THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
26
mally positioning itself as a Eurosceptic party, far
less an anti-European one, forming a group in
the European Parliament with Syriza and both
traditional and reformed communist parties. In-
deed, its cooperation with PSOE in Spain is a
reality at regional and local level, while negotia-
tions to attempt to form a government in Spain
following the general election of December
2015 included talks between the two parties.
The triggers, part I: the crisis
The rise in nationalism and the growth of popu-
list movements in the EU would have been in-
conceivable without the crisis and, above all,
without the mismanagement of this crisis in the
member states.
Since the start of the crisis, in 2008, the EU
has played the lead role in responding to it, with
the result that member states have been viewed
by many of their citizens as merely implementing
A rule of law framework for the European Union
SISTEMIC THREAT TO THE RULE OF LAW
COMMISSION ASSESSMENT
COMMISSION RULE OF LAW WARNING
COMMISSION RULE OF LAW RECOMMENDATION
LAUNCH OF ARTICLE 7 TEU
PREVENTIVE
MECHANISM
SUCCESSFUL
RESOLUTION
SANCTIONING
MECHANISM
Commission
Member
States
European
Parliament
Stakeholders &
National Court
Networks
Fundamental
Rights
Agency
Judicial
Networks
Venice
Commission
D
i
a
l
o
g
u
e
w
i
t
h
t
h
e
M
e
m
b
e
r
S
t
a
t
e
c
o
n
c
e
r
n
e
d
Source:
European Commission.