The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany

Year 2024, Volume: 23 Issue: 1, 163 - 195, 06.06.2024

Uğur Tekiner

https://doi.org/10.32450/aacd.1372477

Abstract

The main thrust of this article is to examine the evolution of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands – SPD)’s Europhile position since German reunification from a broader ideological perspective. To this end, this study rests on the field research that entails 16 semi-structured interviews with high-profile SPD political elites and archival research on key official party documents. Based on this analysis, the main argument of this study is that the SPD encountered a growing tension between idealistic and domestic views of European integration since 1990. Under the impact of the post-reunification domestic problems and Chancellor Schröder’s assertive European policy line, the German Social Democrats’ ideology-driven doubts about European integration increased at the expense of their idealistic pro-Europeanism. Over time, this tension led to the greater prominence of ideological pragmatism in the SPD’s official European Union (EU) narrative, rendering Europe a politically and ideologically salient issue for the party.

Keywords

European integration, Gerhard Schröder, German reunification, idealistic pro-Europeanism, Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands

Ethical Statement

Because this research required interviewing adult human participants, it was reviewed and approved by the University of Cambridge Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) Ethics Committee on 4th May 2021.

Thanks

The first version of this paper was presented at the International Conference of "Democracy, Rule of Law, and Protection of Human Rights in the European Union” held by the Jean Monnet Chair at the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia on 30th September 2023. I am grateful to the chair and participants of the panel for their constructive comments.

Birleşme Sonrası Almanya’da İdealist Avrupa Yanlılığı ile İç İdeolojik Öncelikler Arasında Alman Sosyal Demokrat Partisi

Abstract

Bu makalenin temel amacı, Alman Sosyal Demokrat Partisi'nin Avrupa bütünleşmesi yanlısı tutumunun Alman birleşmesinden bu yana gelişimini geniş bir ideolojik perspektiften incelemektir. Dolayısıyla bu çalışma, yüksek profilli SPD siyasi elitleriyle yapılmış 16 yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme ve önemli resmi parti belgeleri üzerine arşiv araştırmasını içeren bir saha araştırmasına dayanmaktadır. Bu analize dayanarak, bu çalışmanın temel savı, SPD'nin 1990'dan bu yana Avrupa bütünleşmesine ilişkin idealist ve iç kaynaklı görüşler arasında giderek artan bir gerilimle karşılaştığıdır. Ulusal birleşme sonrası iç meselelerin ve Şansölye Schröder'in iddialı Avrupa politikasının etkisi altında, Alman Sosyal Demokratları’nın Avrupa bütünleşmesine ilişkin ideoloji kaynaklı şüpheleri, idealist Avrupa yanlılığı pahasına artmıştır. Zamanla bu gerilim, SPD’nin resmi AB söyleminde ideolojik pragmatizmin daha fazla öne çıkmasına yol açarak Avrupa'yı parti için siyasi ve ideolojik açıdan önemli bir konu haline getirmiştir.

Keywords

Avrupa bütünleşmesi, Gerhard Schröder, Alman birleşmesi, idealist Avrupa yanlılığı, Alman Sosyal Demokrat Partisi

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