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Referendums are a democratic instrument, but so are decisions reached in a parliamentary democracy. I advise extreme caution when it comes to referendums. In Germany too.

Martin Schulz

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Martin Schulz
Age: 68
Born: 1955
Born: December 20
Bookseller
German Politician
Non-Fiction Writer
Politician
Democracy
Reached
Decision
Extreme
Comes
Instrument
Extremes
Germany
Referendums
Instruments
Parliamentary
Decisions
Advise
Democratic
Caution

More quotes by Martin Schulz

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I believe that the majority of people in Europe want to demonstrate solidarity with the refugees.
Martin Schulz
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For many people, politics in Brussels and Strasbourg might as well be happening on another planet.
Martin Schulz
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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.
Martin Schulz
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I'm fully aware that my vision of a European bicameral parliament can't be implemented tomorrow. I'm also not an integration fanatic.
Martin Schulz
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When we were negotiating the ongoing financial period in 2013, I talked myself hoarse. London and Berlin in particular insisted on reducing the budget. So we - to the applause of German journalists - made cuts to central future-oriented areas and slashed the budget for development aid, research and technology.
Martin Schulz
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It's not attractive at the moment to vouch for the European idea. I still do it, because I believe nothing would be better for our continent.
Martin Schulz
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I am grateful to the Germans in general, particularly those who displayed unending dedication to the refugees and who continue to do so.
Martin Schulz
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The question of societal fairness is always pertinent.
Martin Schulz
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We have committed ourselves to pursue joint policies, but then national governments say, We aren't bound by that. That is a dramatic situation, because solidarity is a basic principle that cannot be had on an à la carte basis. If we have rules that nobody adheres to, then the community will break apart.
Martin Schulz
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It is courageous to occasionally admit that there are certain things one can't do.
Martin Schulz
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We all have to accept accusations that we ignored the refugee crisis for far too long. The first time that I referred to the Mediterranean Sea as Europe's cemetery was in October 2013, when hundreds of people drowned off Lampedusa. Italians, Maltese, Greeks and Spaniards have been pleading for help for years. But nobody cared.
Martin Schulz
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In times of upheaval, people wish for nothing more than composure and sincerity.
Martin Schulz
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A joint European army is a very far-reaching proposal and it would be difficult to implement. Such initiatives are nevertheless needed.
Martin Schulz
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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.
Martin Schulz
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At the time, Jean-Claude [Juncker] was already an important man in Brussels. I was a young representative in the European Parliament. We talked for a long time and from that point on, our connection became increasingly deep. But our working-class origins are at least as important to our bond.
Martin Schulz
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The claim made by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán that the refugee question is a German problem is incorrect. It is a European problem.
Martin Schulz
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You can be sure that I won't experiment with right-wing terms.
Martin Schulz
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I believe it is wrong to give Moscow a rebate on Ukraine sanctions because of Syria.
Martin Schulz
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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.
Martin Schulz
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We won't get any growth in Greece by just imposing cuts. What I would prefer is a special economic zone for Greece.
Martin Schulz