Frank-Walter Steinmeier Quotes

Europe‘s demography is developing towards a smaller working population in an ageing society.

Seventeen million people around the world lost their lives in the first world war, countless suffered and were marred for life.

Today, our world is more interconnected than ever. This offers many opportunities; it creates wealth and new freedoms. Yet our world is also vulnerable, full of friction points and conflicts of interest.

The history of the outbreak of war 100 years ago and of the collapse of the fragile balance of power in Europe in the summer of 1914 is a disturbing tale of the failure of the governing elites and the military, but also of diplomacy.

Germany‘s historical responsibility will not expire. We want to live up to it – and you should judge us on it.

But Germany is a reflective power: even as it adapts, a belief in the importance of restraint, deliberation, and peaceful negotiation will continue to guide its interactions with the rest of the world.

I feel that we Germans are spending less and less time talking to each other. And even less time listening to each other.

Our democracy is as strong as we make it. Its founding principle is that we voice our opinions, and that we are willing to argue for what we believe in.

Responsibility is always about concrete action.

Wherever you look – especially on social media – we see hate; there is shouting and daily outrage.

The question that stands in the foreground is not ‘Do we need this technology?’ No one denies the great chances and the great opportunities that we have in the fight against poverty, the handling of climate issues, the fight against sickness.

I wish I could say that we Germans have learned from our history once and for all, but I cannot say that when hatred is spreading.

Taxing financial markets, promoting research and development, and mobilising investments: that means learning our lessons from the financial market crisis and changing our focus.

Resources are becoming scarcer. If we want to promote new growth, we should focus on the quality of the value we are creating.

Since 1998, I have served my country as a member of four cabinets and as the leader of the parliamentary opposition.