I should be making plans more for the next world than for this one.

You sin in thinking bad about people - but, often, you guess right.

My father died when I was two years old. But my mother was quite capable. She raised three children with his war pension which was peanuts. Yet we did not want for anything. We grew up with a certain parsimony, which is a nice thing. Then if life gives you more good, otherwise you get used to. I'm still thrifty.

Power wears out those who don't have it

In politics, sunny days and rainy days can change very quickly.

Power is a disease one has no desire to be cured of.

If a citizen who's committed many crimes, instead of going to prison would say something against me or another politician, or against any other well known person ... I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody but someone who's killed twenty people could easily tell a lie.

The judges are a big problem. Law is equal for everyone, except for them.

I love Germany so much that I preferred when there were two.

My conscience is clear, because I know that in my conscience and in front of God I am guilty of nothing. I hope human justice will see at the same way.