Tożsamość narodowa jako czynnik kształtujący relacje pomiędzy Unią Europejską a państwami członkowskimi

National identity in the legal terms is understood as constitutional identity. It conditionsthe relationships between the European Union and its Member States. Referring to theconstitutional identity makes possible for the constitutional courts of the Member Statesto define the boundaries for the permeation of the European Union law into national legalorders. National identity is a vast formula enabling the effective protection of constitutionalvalues within the meaning of inviolable constitutional cores of the Member States. Equallysignificant is the fact that the respect for national identities is a commitment, which theEuropean Union has assumed for itself.The article aims at outlining the evolution of relations between the European Union and itsMember States within the context of national identities in the light of the case law of theconstitutional courts of the Member States.Key words: European Union, national identity, constitutional identity, constitutional court