53As regards the argument of the Republic of Cyprus that the obstacle to the free movement of workers resulting from the provisions of Article 27 of Law 97 (I)/1997 is justified by the fact that variations in the conditions for the grant of social security benefits might put the balance of the system at risk and that those provisions are intended to ensure that balance subject to the principle of proportionality, it should be noted that while reasons of a purely economic nature cannot constitute overriding reasons in the public interest justifying a restriction of a fundamental freedom guaranteed by the Treaty (see judgments in Verkooijen, C‑35/98, EU:C:2000:294, paragraph 48; Kranemann, C‑109/04, EU:C:2005:187, paragraph 34; and Thiele Meneses, C‑220/12, EU:C:2013:683, paragraph 43), national legislation may, however, constitute a justified restriction on a fundamental freedom when it is dictated by reasons of an economic nature in the pursuit of an objective in the public interest (see judgment in Essent and Others, C‑105/12 to C‑107/12, EU:C:2013:677, paragraph 52). Therefore, it is conceivable that the risk of seriously undermining the financial balance of the social security system may constitute an overriding reason in the public interest capable of justifying the undermining of the provisions of the Treaty concerning the right of freedom of movement for workers (see, to that effect, judgment in Kohll, C‑158/96, EU:C:1998:171, paragraph 41)
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