European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on May 10 that the European Union executive arm could open a legal case against Germany over a ruling by the country's constitutional court that the European Central Bank had overstepped its mandate with bond purchases.
“The recent ruling of the German Constitutional Court put under the spotlight two issues of the European Union: the euro system and the European legal system," she said in a statement. “We are now analysing the ruling of the German Constitutional Court in detail. And we will look into possible next steps, which may include the option of infringement proceedings,” she said.
Infringements are legal cases the commission can bring before the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union, if the Brussels-based executive deems a member state is violating EU law. The court can order a nation to make amends, or face hefty fines.