In the days before the vote, I bet that the British would stay in the EU.

It's not attractive at the moment to vouch for the European idea. I still do it, because I believe nothing would be better for our continent.

We need a big debate in society about how we are going to shape Europe and tame capitalism. A government must provide direction and make concrete proposals. It is one of Angela Merkel's biggest failings that she doesn't do this.

I am critical of the fact that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is pulling out of everything - the joint approach to the refugee issue, for example. He cannot disparage his colleagues in the EU either - that's not how we treat each other. We require solidarity: in refugee policies, just as in the financial architecture of the structural funds from which countries like Hungary have strongly profited from for years.

I am grateful to the Germans in general, particularly those who displayed unending dedication to the refugees and who continue to do so.

Donald Trump must be taken seriously. He is fulfilling his dangerous campaign promises.

Before we talk about further accessions, we have to consolidate the European Union internally. People are increasingly losing faith in the EU's effectiveness.