There are a lot of active AfD members in Germany and people in party leadership positions who speak like Nazis and think like Nazis. AfD parliamentary floor leader Alexander Gauland wants to "take back our country and our people." Umm, hello? Haven't we heard that before? I had hoped and thought that our society had advanced beyond that. But we have to realize: They're back.

I never use the concept, multipolar. I use multilateral. Because we have only one global power: whether you like it or not, this is the United States.

With the arrival of the refugees in 2015, it became impossible to ignore that the period of uninterrupted sunshine that Germany had enjoyed had come to an end. The vast problems of the 21st century are knocking on our door. That is also true of the dramatic changes that we can see globally, for example with Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. You can't win people over by saying nothing and biding your time, as Angela Merkel has tried to do. People want leadership - in the best sense of the term.

We had to move forward after the war and see the realities.

We already have a federation. The 11, soon to be 12, member States adopting the euro have already given up part of their sovereignty, monetary sovereignty, and formed a monetary union, and that is the first step towards a federation.

The future of the German automobile industry is very much at stake. Will we help shape the upheaval that goes along with the shift to electric cars or will we suffer from it? We are the country of automobiles. If we aren't able to remain out front technologically, it will be painful. That is one of the decisive questions when it comes to jobs, income and prosperity - and not just for a few of the wealthy or super-rich, but for a huge number of people.

From my own experience in dealing with the Nazi-grandpas, who have now clearly made a return, I would recommend a bit of fundamental imperturbability.