Looking for substance at the boundaries: European citizenship and mutual recognition of belonging

This article examines the recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the genuine enjoyment of the substance of the rights of European citizens. It argues that the court, in focusing on substance, eschews another important question, the one of the boundaries of European citizenship. In order to define the "substance" of European citizenship, it is important to develop a theory of belonging underpinning European citizenship. This article argues that hints of such a theory may be found in some "classics" of the Court of Justice of the European Union on European citizenship, which evidence a lingering idea of mutual recognition of belonging. The article explores the problems and prospects of a supranational citizenship relying on a notion of mutual recognition of belonging.