I knew that I could never win a referendum in Germany. We would have lost a referendum on the introduction of the euro. That’s quite clear. I would have lost, and by seven to three. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
When people come to write about my period of office, I would be very happy if they say that I made a contribution to finding the happy medium again for the Germans. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
In a democracy, if you don’t get the votes, nothing else is possible, no matter how wonderful your dreams. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
My parents were Christians – Catholics, but not in the close-minded sense. I remember my mother to be a very pious woman, but she was never against other religions. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
As a child, I personally didn’t really get to know any Jews. I was eight years old when the Night of Broken Glass happened. And Ludwigshafen was purely a workers’ city, so we didn’t have a very big Jewish community. What I did know about the Jews, I heard from my mother. My mother was very much pro-Jewish. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
Where is Germany now and where does it want to go? It’s a question being asked by our partners and allies abroad. We have to return – urgently – to our old dependability. We have to make clear for others what we stand for, where we’re headed, and that we know where we belong. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
Isolated decisions, however well-founded they might seem to the individual, and national go-it-alone moves must belong to the past. They should not be the 21st-century method of choice, particularly because the consequences of the European community’s actions must often be carried collectively. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
Solitary decisions, no matter how well-founded they may appear to individuals, must belong to the past – along with national, unilateralist action. Helmut Kohl Read Quote
