Europe has certainly lost confidence in itself. This was something that, when I was a young man, we never imagined would happen.

I would sooner want a strong partnership with the United States - even with (US President George W.) Bush, who I think is the worst president in a long, long time. I would sooner want a friendship with Bush than with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.

The only successful revolution of this century is totalitarianism.

The euro is a great achievement. It's a symbolic achievement. But, the European constitution was a missed opportunity.

God is dead but my hair is perfect.

The terrorists exist, and I think we must speak to them, not to establish a dialogue-since for serious terrorists that is unfortunately out of the question - but to learn how their brains work, to be better able to fight them.

France is a country where thinking is supposed to be furtive, invisible, almost clandestine. France is a country of cliques and sects.