The rule of law means that law and justice are upheld by an

The words of Jean-Claude Juncker, uttered with the gravity of one who has seen both the strength and the fragility of nations, ring like a solemn decree across the halls of Europe. When he said, “The rule of law means that law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. The judgments of the European Court of Justice have to be respected by all. To undermine them, or to undermine the independence of national courts, is to strip citizens of their fundamental rights. The rule of law is not optional in the European Union. It is a must,” he was not merely defending the machinery of government—he was invoking one of civilization’s most sacred principles: that justice must stand above power, and that law must be a shield for the weak, not a weapon for the strong. His words are both warning and wisdom—a reminder that freedom dies not in the clash of armies, but in the quiet corrosion of institutions.

To understand the origin of these words, we must look to the long and tumultuous history of Europe itself. For centuries, this continent was a battlefield of empires, kings, and ideologies—where the sword often spoke louder than reason. The idea of the rule of law—that no one, not even the ruler, stands above the law—was born from the ashes of tyranny and war. It was the hard-won fruit of revolutions, from the Magna Carta in England to the struggles of the Enlightenment philosophers who declared that liberty and justice were the rights of all mankind. When Juncker, as President of the European Commission, spoke these words, he did so in defense of this sacred inheritance, warning against the rising tide of nationalism and corruption that sought to weaken the independence of the courts and bend justice to political will.

The rule of law is not a mere concept—it is the spine of every free society. Without it, a nation becomes a body without bones, collapsing under the weight of fear and favoritism. Juncker’s call for respect toward the European Court of Justice is a recognition that justice must be impartial, even when its judgments are inconvenient. For the moment a nation decides that the law applies only when it suits its interests, it begins to unravel the fabric of freedom. This is the ancient lesson of human governance: that the law must be a mirror of fairness, not the mask of tyranny. To undermine the independence of the judiciary, as Juncker warned, is to silence the voice that speaks for those who cannot defend themselves.

History gives us grave examples of what follows when this truth is forgotten. In the early years of the twentieth century, Germany’s Weimar Republic possessed a constitution filled with noble ideals—but its laws were twisted by those in power. Judges became servants of ideology rather than guardians of justice. When Adolf Hitler rose to power, one of his first acts was to destroy the independence of the courts, replacing justice with obedience. The law, once meant to protect the citizen, became a tool of oppression. Millions suffered under decrees that were “legal,” but not just. Juncker’s words, spoken in the modern age, carry the same echo of warning: that democracy without the rule of law is but an illusion, a gilded cage ready to shatter at the touch of tyranny.

Yet the rule of law is not only a matter for nations; it is a reflection of the human soul. In the ancient world, the philosopher Solon of Athens declared laws that bound both the powerful and the poor, for he knew that freedom without justice becomes chaos. Similarly, Cicero of Rome proclaimed that “We are all servants of the law, that we may be free.” These truths endure across millennia because they speak to something eternal in mankind’s nature—the longing for order that is righteous, and power that is tempered by morality. Juncker’s declaration stands in that same lineage, affirming that justice, like the sun, must shine equally upon all, or else it ceases to be justice at all.

In the tone of the ancients, we may say: a nation that forgets its laws forgets its soul. To weaken the courts is to unbind the chains that hold back chaos. The rule of law is the silent guardian that stands between civilization and barbarism, between reason and ruin. Its strength lies not in the swords of soldiers, but in the integrity of judges and the courage of citizens who insist that fairness must prevail even when it costs them dearly. Juncker’s warning is not only for Europe—it is for all mankind: the moment law becomes a servant to politics, liberty begins to rot from within.

The lesson is clear and enduring: justice must never bow to power, and independence must never yield to convenience. The law must be honored even when it challenges us, for it is the measure of our humanity. Each citizen, in their daily life, has a duty to uphold this truth—to speak out against corruption, to defend the integrity of institutions, and to demand accountability from those who govern. The rule of law, as Juncker reminds us, is not a luxury, not a choice, not a matter of political preference—it is the very foundation upon which peace and dignity stand.

And so, the practical path is this: let each of us become a guardian of justice in our own sphere. Respect the law not out of fear, but out of reverence for the civilization it preserves. Protect the independence of the courts, for they are the last defense of freedom. Teach the young that liberty and responsibility walk hand in hand, and that the greatness of a nation lies not in its might, but in its fairness. As Jean-Claude Juncker declares, the rule of law is not optional—it is a must. For without it, even the mightiest union of nations will crumble, and the song of freedom will fall silent beneath the weight of its own neglect.