The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany
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 entai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ankara University
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi |
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| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3459654 |
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| author | Uğur Tekiner |
| author_facet | Uğur Tekiner |
| author_sort | Uğur Tekiner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53327ed2c2364cf99b771ebedc6c4929 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1303-2518 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Ankara University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi |
| spelling | doaj-art-53327ed2c2364cf99b771ebedc6c49292025-02-03T06:54:46ZengAnkara UniversityAnkara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi1303-25182024-06-0123116319510.32450/aacd.137247745The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification GermanyUğur Tekiner0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7478-3891University of CambridgeThe 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.https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3459654european integrationgerhard schrödergerman reunificationidealistic pro-europeanismsozialdemokratische partei deutschlandsavrupa bütünleşmesigerhard schröderalman birleşmesiidealist avrupa yanlılığıalman sosyal demokrat partisi |
| spellingShingle | Uğur Tekiner The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany Ankara Avrupa Çalışmaları Dergisi european integration gerhard schröder german reunification idealistic pro-europeanism sozialdemokratische partei deutschlands avrupa bütünleşmesi gerhard schröder alman birleşmesi idealist avrupa yanlılığı alman sosyal demokrat partisi |
| title | The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany |
| title_full | The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany |
| title_fullStr | The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany |
| title_short | The German Social Democratic Party Between Idealistic Pro-Europeanism And Domestic Ideological Priorities In The Post-Reunification Germany |
| title_sort | german social democratic party between idealistic pro europeanism and domestic ideological priorities in the post reunification germany |
| topic | european integration gerhard schröder german reunification idealistic pro-europeanism sozialdemokratische partei deutschlands avrupa bütünleşmesi gerhard schröder alman birleşmesi idealist avrupa yanlılığı alman sosyal demokrat partisi |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3459654 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ugurtekiner thegermansocialdemocraticpartybetweenidealisticproeuropeanismanddomesticideologicalprioritiesinthepostreunificationgermany AT ugurtekiner germansocialdemocraticpartybetweenidealisticproeuropeanismanddomesticideologicalprioritiesinthepostreunificationgermany |