“If we no longer judge the content of people's actions, but merely their form, then we are entering dangerous times indeed.” PeopleIfsActionFormDangerousJudgingEntering Author:Martin Schulz
“Trump has a clear goal: the division of Europe and the destruction of the European domestic market. The fact that Brexit propagandist Nigel Farage was the first European he received in his tower speaks volumes. That is why we must strengthen the European domestic market and work even more closely together in Europe. That is absolutely compulsory for Germany.” FirstsFactsTogetherSpeakGoalClearTrumpEuropeDestructionGermanyDivisionVolumeTowersCompulsoryPropagandistClear Goals Author:Martin Schulz
“Trump is the freely elected president of the U.S. and as such deserves respect.” PresidentTrumpDeserve Author:Martin Schulz
“Gerhard Schröder offered a clear German NEIN to an American president's war of aggression that was in violation of international law. That took courage. Ms. Merkel did not join him at the time. If Trump now begins to take the wrecking ball to our set of values, we must say clearly: That is not our approach.” IfsWarLawValuesPresidentClearTrumpApproachBallsInternationalAggressionViolationInternational LawAmerican President Author:Martin Schulz
“We are living through an epochal shift. If we aren't careful, the elementary foundations of our pluralistic democracy will be threatened.” IfsDemocracyFoundationCarefulThreatened Author:Martin Schulz
“It is impossible to swear an oath to the German Basic Law without realizing that our constitution is among the most liberal constitutions in the world. As the head of government in such a country, I would stand up to all those who call into question this free, open and tolerant model of society.” WorldCountryGovernmentLawRealizingImpossibleModelsConstitutionSwearOath Author:Martin Schulz
“We must now, in the 21st century, protect democracy, one which rests on fundamental rights for all, regardless of skin color, gender, race or religion. Nothing less than that is at stake.” RaceDemocracyRightsCenturyColorProtectSkinsFundamentalsGenderStakes21st CenturySkin ColorFundamental Rights Author:Martin Schulz
“We have to engage in a dialogue with Donald Trump because he is the elected president of the United States of America. But we have to emphatically oppose his foreign policy ideas.” PresidentPolicyDialogueForeign Policy Author:Martin Schulz
“Donald Trump is withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement because he wants to lower environmental standards for American products and manufacture more cheaply. His reasoning is quite simple, but very shortsighted. It won't succeed because, by doing so, Trump is missing a golden opportunity to modernize American industry.” OpportunitySimpleMissingSucceedEnvironmental Author:Martin Schulz
“When it comes to climate protection, the whole world will have to pay the price. But if Donald Trump intends to conclude a trade agreement with the EU, he will have to abide by our climate standards. In any case, waiving climate protection does not make American products more competitive.” WorldTradeProtection Author:Martin Schulz
“We Germans are particularly aware that you can only be successful on the global market over the long term if you offer energy-efficient products that are, by nature, climate-friendly.” LongTermSuccessfulLong TermBeing Successful Author:Martin Schulz
“Donald Trump has made the principle of purposely breaking a taboo into a means of achieving his political objectives, which is something that he has in common with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Trump systematically violates international rules. But we cannot allow ourselves to forget that Trump is not the U.S.” MeanPoliticalPresidentForgetCommonAchieveTabooTurkish Author:Martin Schulz
“I still hope that the American system of checks and balances will ultimately prevent this man, Donald Trump, with his erratic political style, from jeopardizing our European security architecture.” MenPoliticalSecurityStyleBalanceArchitecture Author:Martin Schulz
“If we want to strengthen the EU, then we urgently need a two-pronged approach. First, we can save a lot of money if we finally move to harness synergy effects in military spending. The parallel structures in the individual armies still remain far too costly, and we could save a lot by making joint purchases. Second, we cannot only think in terms of conventional military logic, but instead have to be far better prepared to thwart cyberattacks. Most importantly, we can no longer allow the EU to become bogged down in petty details.” ThinkingMovingIndividualTermMilitaryLogicArmySynergy Author:Martin Schulz
“The EU is a community of values, not military buildups.” ValuesCommunityMilitary Author:Martin Schulz
“I have no illusions. Of course, Russia is massively upgrading its military. We know that Russia is pursuing a policy of expansion. This is of course a cause for concern among Eastern European countries.” CountryMilitaryPolicyIllusionConcernEastern Author:Martin Schulz
“In all of my speeches I talk about why a strong Europe is necessary in order for Germany to be strong over the long term. I think that I have sufficiently shown over the past years that I have a clear notion of how we can make Europe stronger, more democratic and more inclusive. There is really no competition there with Sigmar Gabriel.” ThinkingLongPastStrongTermStrongerCompetitionDemocraticLong TermOver The Past Author:Martin Schulz
“I am strictly against making cuts in the current budgetary period for things such as research funding and investments as a reaction to Brexit. I think that we can do an excellent job of explaining this to the German people.” PeopleThinkingCuttingInvestmentExcellent Author:Martin Schulz
“If Merkel has discovered Europe in a beer tent, I can only say: better late than never. Otherwise, it was the height of hypocrisy: The chancellor sat down for a beer with CSU Chairman Horst Seehofer, the man who after the election praised Donald Trump as a very resolute man.” MenHe ManElectionBeerSatHypocrisy Author:Martin Schulz
“I would have oriented myself in case of Donald Trump according to what former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said to then - U.S. President George W. Bush when the Americans launched a war that was in violation of international law. Schröder showed that a German chancellor can act in a clear and self-confident manner toward a U.S. president.” WarPresidentInternational Law Author:Martin Schulz
“Donald Trump is betraying everything that made America great: tolerance, democratic institutions and respect for the individual. In that sense, Trump is the most un-American U.S. president that the country has had in a long time.” LongCountryIndividualPresidentDemocraticToleranceBetray Author:Martin Schulz
“I spoke with Gerhard Schröder about a lot of things, including foreign policy. Schröder knows how important European policy is to me personally. I have worked together with Angela Merkel on European policy for many years, so I was surprised when Volker Kauder who has little experience in European policy, claimed that I had not represented German interests in Europe. That's an example of how the conservatives conduct an election campaign.” ImportantTogetherInterestPolicyElectionForeign Policy Author:Martin Schulz
“Keeping quiet and letting the others do the talking. That may be Angela Merkel's method, but it's not mine.” Quiet Author:Martin Schulz
“It was clear to me that the White House's solemn atmosphere would not civilize Trump. But the merciless nepotism with which he conducts politics, in which he places himself and his family above the law, I wouldn't have considered that possible. And on top of that there is this reduction of complex political decisions to 140 characters. When it comes to a U.S. president, I consider the reduction of politics to a tweet to be truly dangerous. Trump is a risk to his country and the entire world.” WorldCountryCharacterPoliticalPresidentDecisionRiskDangerousAtmosphereSolemnTweetAbove The LawNepotism140 Character Author:Martin Schulz
“At the end of the day, men like Donald Trump need to be given that which they themselves dispense: clear messages. I would confront him as clearly and explicitly as possible. It is not only the right, but also the duty, of the leader of a German government to do that.” MenLeaderDuty Author:Martin Schulz
“Trump believes politics is a staged fight. But it is not. Still, clear words are sometimes needed in politics. In that sense, I believe I am better than Mrs. Merkel.” BelieveSometimesFightingI Believe Author:Martin Schulz
“There are certain reactions that you aren't allowed to show in Berlin, for example that you feel offended. If you do, the best-case scenario is a sympathetic article along the lines of: Nice guy, but he's not up to it. The alternative is to don a suit of armor and become cynical. But that's not healthy either: Cynicism is the worst characteristic a politician can have. That's why you have to have an internal balance in Berlin, so you can stay true to yourself. And I have that.” GuyNiceWorstBalancePoliticianHealthyCynicalCynicismOffendedSympatheticTrue To YourselfStay TrueNice GuyStay True To Yourself Author:Martin Schulz
“For me, respect is an extremely important political term. Since I began campaigning, it has been at the heart of each of my speeches. Many people have the feeling that politicians aren't paying a sufficient amount of attention to them. And then, when the refugees arrived on top of all problems, there was a feeling: You do everything for them, but nothing for us. This mixture of frustration and fear has led to this reaction. That is why it is so important to show these people: We respect you.” PeopleHeartImportantFeelingsProblemPoliticalTermAttentionPoliticianFrustrationRefugeeCampaigning Author:Martin Schulz
“The racist rhetoric that extends all the way to the top of the AfD shows that one must assume that an attitude is prevalent - not just in the grassroots, but also among party leadership - that is not consistent with the basic values reflected in our constitution.” ValuesPartyAttitudeConstitutionAssumingConsistentRacistRhetoric Author:Martin Schulz
“The membership survey was a great moment for inner-party democracy. We can't go back, nor do we want to. Our members are pouring their hearts into this campaign. But people don't join the Social Democrats party just to put up posters. They join because they want to help steer the party.” PeopleHeartMomentsHelpingPartyDemocracyDemocratPostersGreat Moments Author:Martin Schulz
“I really don't have time at the moment for coalition debates. The voters will decide what the next parliament will look like. Those who wish to form a coalition with The Social Democrats can take a look at our platform and then they are more than welcome to talk to us.” MomentsWishDemocratDebateWelcome Author:Martin Schulz
“Ms. Merkel is avoiding retirement issues. She simply doesn't want to do anything, although she knows that doing nothing means that real pensions will fall. That is preprogrammed old-age poverty. When it comes to wage fairness: It was Ms. Merkel herself who blocked the establishment of a right to return to a fulltime job after going part time for a period. Yet everyone keeps saying that our platform is identical to that of the conservatives. It's crazy.” MeanRealFallPovertyCrazyRetirementFairnessAvoidingPensionBlocked Author:Martin Schulz
“The Social Democrats have to listen to people who are attracted to the AfD party. That isn't a mistake at all. You can also win them back. Of course, there are a lot of angry voters who are ideologically charged. But there are also a lot of quieter voters who plan on voting AfD to send a message. We can never give up on them.” PeopleGivingWinningPartyMistakeGiving UpDemocratVotingNever Giving Up Author:Martin Schulz
“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.” FailingCapitalismDebateConcreteProposal Author:Martin Schulz
“We are seeing now that without the contribution of the Social Democrats, Germany cannot be governed. We are a proud and self-confident party. We should now act based on that pride, and not out of fear.” PartyPrideProudDemocrat Author:Martin Schulz
“We need a comprehensive renewal of the nursing care system in Germany, and quickly. The two-tier medical system must be abolished. Patients with public health insurance are waiting months to be seen by a specialist doctor, while doctors increasingly give priority to privately insured patients. That's unacceptable. We also need an educational revolution. Medicine, nursing care, education: Germany is not a modern country when it comes to these three areas. We have to adapt our policies to the social reality. These are projects that can awaken Germany out of its torpor.” GivingCountryRealityCareWaitingModernPolicyRevolutionPatientEducationalMedicalPrioritiesRenewalNursingPublic Health Author:Martin Schulz
“Things are going well in Germany because the economy is booming and as an export-driven nation, we are profiting from the fact that we have an excellent, high-performing SME sector. But if we want things to continue to go well into the future, then we have to break up the antiquated structures in some areas and really modernize.” BreakEconomyExcellent Author:Martin Schulz
“In 2003, Helmut Schmidt said: Predatory capitalism exists, we have to civilize it and we can do that via Europe. He was right. We haven't tried hard enough.” EnoughCapitalism Author:Martin Schulz
“If we want to create new rules of globalization, then we can't just think in terms of the nation state. The nation state has long offered protection. But it suffers from the fact that many citizens increasingly fear that it can no longer protect them: The threat of transnational terrorism is growing. Freedom of movement rules in Europe facilitate social dumping. Regardless of the make-up of the next government, it must have clear ideas on how to overcome the lack of direction of recent years.” ThinkingLongSufferingTermProtectOvercomingThreatTerrorismProtectionGlobalization Author:Martin Schulz
“We need a common European tax policy that closes these tax loopholes. We need a common European social policy that prevents social dumping. We need an effective securing of our external borders and a smart way of fighting terrorism. Acting as a state within a national framework is no longer enough. The German chancellor has completely failed to convey that throughout her years in power. We need a re-start for Europe.” EnoughFightingCommonActingPolicyTaxesSmartTerrorism Author:Martin Schulz
“France is ready for a European revolution and it is Germany that is pulling the brakes. For a long time, it was the other way around. You don't have to agree with the details of every single one of Emmanuel Macron's suggestions, but he's right about the idea of a new foundation of Europe. Europe's Social Democrats have long demanded this. If we really want to, we can create a different, better Europe in the coming years.” LongDifferentRevolutionAgreeDemocratBrake Author:Martin Schulz
“I want to end tax dumping. States that have a common currency should not be engaged in tax competition. We need a minimum tax rate and a European finance minister, who would be responsible for closing the tax loopholes and getting rid of the tax havens inside and outside the EU. It is also clear that we have to reach common standards in our economic and labor policies. We cannot continue to just talk about technical details. We have to inspire enthusiasm in Germany for Europe.” CommonEconomicPolicyInspireTaxesLaborResponsibleCompetitionRateFinanceEnthusiasmCurrencyBeing Responsible Author:Martin Schulz
“It became obvious that we had completely failed to impose rules on unbridled speculative capitalism. That destroyed financial systems, hollowed out state systems and deeply shook German social stability. Can you recall the debate about "locust" hedge funds - even if it's a terrible term. The speculator capitalists roamed the land, stealing the substance from companies and throwing away the shells. And we were powerless.” TermTerribleCapitalismFinancialObviousDebateStealingFundStabilityCapitalistPowerless Author:Martin Schulz
“One of the richest and largest markets in the world, Europe can set global standards. And if a French president is prepared to at least consider clear rules in the Eurozone, then it would be fatal if Germany were not to react.” WorldPresident Author:Martin Schulz
“The EU is an unique project that replaced war with peace, hate with solidarity. Overwhelming emotion for awarding of Nobel prize to EU” WarHateEmotionProjectsUniquePrizeOverwhelmingReplacedSolidarityNobelNobel PrizeOverwhelming Emotions Author:Martin Schulz
