The Promotion of ‘symmetrical’ European Citizenship: A Federal Perspective

This paper contributes to the ongoing debate about symmetrical citizenship at the European level by searching out new areas for consideration, in particular the judicial politics of European citizenship. Using a federal comparative perspective, it sheds light on the potential role the European Court of Justice (ECJ) could play in promoting symmetrical citizenship through the comparison with the experience of the early United States and of its Supreme Court.

This paper proceeds to discuss why the ECJ has not acted in a way similar to that of the US Supreme Court, and concludes by offering some recommendations for a possible role of the ECJ as a critical agent in the promotion of Union citizenship beyond the economic sphere.