We have to be strong in ourselves. Whoever defines themselves only through their opponents risks making their entire programme... dependent on others.
I support social market economy. But it only works if there is fair competition.
I am convinced that we need a stronger Europe that acts in a common agreement on the most crucial issues. For me these are safety, defense, innovation and the aim to maintain our well being.
There comes a time in everybody's life when it's no longer enough to point and say he or she should do it, but you have to answer yourself... That's why I put myself at the party's service.
We need to be at the forefront of technological development again.
For a long time, perhaps too long, we believed that the world around us would become more and more peaceful, and the order more stable.
We need strategic strength for our industry, technology and innovation, a sense of security for our European citizens and common foreign and security capabilities to defend our interests.
When it comes to social issues such as the role of the family, I'm certainly more conservative than Angela Merkel. But on the big questions on what direction and where Germany should develop, when it comes to the economy, then we have very similar views.
Brexit has been a strain on all of us. In some ways it has paralysed us.
Anything that keeps the U.K. close to the E.U. and best of all, in the E.U., would make me personally very happy.
If the U.K. had new watertight proposals for the border, I don't think anyone in the E.U. would say, 'We don't want to talk about it.'
Europe - and in particular Germany - must assume more responsibility. We must be ready to take on this responsibility and that has consequences domestically. That means, for example, we must be ready to spend more money on defense at home and abroad.
That the CDU has different political views on the topic of redistribution, on the topic of uniform social standards... than the French have, that is nothing new.
I have the feeling we are the most uptight nation that ever walked this earth.
When it comes to me, I can rule out that I am scheming for a change.
If we have political forces in the Bundestag, and in parts of the coalition, who... say they want to spend money on pensions, not weapons. Then I say, be honest and say you don't want a German army.
You always stand on the shoulders of your predecessor.
Being a people's party cannot mean being a kind of all-purpose political shop that offers something for everyone.
There are high hurdles for expelling someone from a party, and with good reason.
To those who cynically say today that liberal democracy would be 'obsolete,' I reply: liberal democracy, human rights, freedom of the press and the rule of law were the right way, are the right way, and will be the right way.
