It's understandable that Europe's Muslims are in a difficult situation, which is partly their own doing and partly not.

I would caution against fueling cheap populism. First of all, every German who has spent a vacation in Greece knows that the standard of living there isn't higher than it is in Germany. Second, Greece is paying a high price for European assistance.

The significant collapse of oil prices shows that it was previously way too high.

I think we will have to spend more on defense, for infrastructure, for extension of the broadband network and also for domestic security.

It is true that no member state can be required to make payments to others. But if countries want to offer voluntary assistance, as in the Greek case, this isn't only allowed, but it's also in Germany's interest. We all benefit by ensuring the stability of the euro zone.

In the EU, we agree that the pressures causing migration must be reduced.

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.