Those who constantly qualify everything and have no opinions of their own are ultimately just as incapable of tolerance.

It has been clear for some time now that we have to do more for domestic and external security. I am prepared for that.

Europe has grown through crises. Each crisis also presents opportunities, and Europe has emerged stronger from each one. That is the way history unfolds. Europe is sometimes slow, and it reacts sluggishly, but it is capable of finding solutions.

We need more personnel within our security agencies.

Our balanced budget has an important psychological function. It is a signal that we can't continue to constantly take on debt.

I want to see religious instruction and sermons held in German in the mosques. The ideal, in my view, would be for imams to be trained in Germany and to speak our language, just as the Roman Catholic Church now holds mass in German and gave up Latin long ago.

I'm a firm believer in the monetary union.