Baku State University

The Lisbon Treaty from 2009 introduced the possibility for individual member states to withdraw from the European Union (EU) on the basis of a unilateral decision. But is withdrawal democratically legitimate? The introduction of Article 50 TEU essentially erodes faith in the Union, thereby undermining constitutionalism in the EU. The divergent interpretations highlight the uncharted nature of the law in this field more generally and the procedure to follow in concluding the exit agreement in particular. As such, they are fully embedded in the Article 50 of TEU, and form an integral part of the evolving EU constitutional structure they underpin.