War is not the quintessential emergency in which man has to prove himself, as my generation learned at its school desks in the days of the Kaiser; rather, peace is the emergency in which we all have to prove ourselves.

Some fatherlands are difficult. Germany is one of them. But it is our fatherland. Here is where we live and work.

Trust cannot be commanded; and yet it is also correct that the only one who earns trust is the one who is prepared to grant trust.

Disarmament requires trust.

The secret of big and revolutionary actions also consists in discovering the tiny step that is simultaneously a strategic step, insofar as it entails additional steps in the direction of a better reality.

Liberal democracy must finally become the vital element of our society.

Insecurity and resignation mingle with the hope for a better order.