The principles of the SPD have remained the same for 150 years: democracy, human dignity, justice and inclusion. We will never change those principles.

Referendums have always posed a threat when it comes to EU policy, because EU policy is complicated. They're an opportunity for those from all political camps who like to oversimplify things.

The EU is an unique project that replaced war with peace, hate with solidarity. Overwhelming emotion for awarding of Nobel prize to EU

For many people, politics in Brussels and Strasbourg might as well be happening on another planet.

But if you constantly insist only on your own interpretation, it isn't long before it seems patronizing.

I'm not a populist. But I try to present complicated issues in such a way that people know where I stand.

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

I am a man of parliament, a man of the people. I am not a representative of the executives.

A joint European army is a very far-reaching proposal and it would be difficult to implement. Such initiatives are nevertheless needed.

The problem with us EU politicians is that we approach everything with cool rationality, and then wonder why we don't win people over emotionally.

I believe that the majority of people in Europe want to demonstrate solidarity with the refugees.

Dreams come true if we can pursue them by overcoming the fear of failure.

Whatever sociology may be, it is the result of constantly asking the question, what is the meaning of this?

Virtue is safe only when it is inspired.

The peoples of the Andes believe in the concept of 'living well' instead of wanting to 'live better' by consuming more, regardless of the cost to our neighbors and our environment.

You can't really have art without having a sense of community as art is for others to enjoy as well.

You cannot succeed by yourself. It's hard to find a rich hermit.

Verse is a mechanism by which we can create interpretative illusions suggesting profoundities of response and understanding which far exceed the engagement or research of the writer.

The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer, it's by making poor people richer.

The President's political travel is going to get blamed (and probably rightly) for a share of this downturn.