Nevertheless, in practice the leaders of the Social Democratic Party of Saarland condoned and soon backed the French policy of economically integrating the Saar Area with France, whereas politically the Social Democrats strived for the Saar's autonomy. Within the party, however, there were three groupings with different opinions, those demanding a full annexation of the Saar to France, those condemning this attitude as separatism and promoting the reunification with Germany, and thirdly those wanting an autonomous Saar.
