ABSTRACT
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is generally viewed in the public eye as a supranational institution with a true 'European vocation'. As a consequence of its supranational mission, the ECJ is considered a 'natural' ally of the Commission in countering intergovernmental preponderance. The most ardent advocate of new institutionalism has been Karen Alter, who uses historical institutionalist arguments to explain the ECJ's role over a defined period. The national courts enforced the jurisprudence of the ECJ against their own governments. The influence of the ECJ on integration matters has grown significantly and succeeded in drawing the attention of neofunctionalists. The debate between scholars of European integration and legal scholars has been limited to a few rare occasions and is generally characterized by a lack of mutual methodological and theoretical understanding. The normative aspirations of legal scholars and complexity of legalese act as barriers to the free-flowing exchange of ideas and theories.
