Europhile against all odds: social democrats converge on a pro-integration position in times of politicisation

How do pro-European parties of the centre-left react to growing citizen dissatisfaction with the EU? In this research note, Mario Gavenda argues that the social-democratic party family in Western Europe remains persistently in favour of European integration. A content analysis of party congress debates of the German SPD and the French PS suggests that social democrats take a position of critical Euroenthusiasm, criticising the status quo but demanding ‘more Europe’ as solution.