Quotes from Helmut Kohl

Solitary decisions, no matter how well-founded they may appear to individuals, must belong to the past - along with national, unilateralist action.

The European Union Treaty... within a few years will lead to the creation of what the founding fathers of modern Europe dreamed of after the war, the United States of Europe.

We humans have an abyss inside us. The more power people have, the greater the danger.

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.

I have made a very good living, for more than 30 years, by being underestimated.

If one has no compass, when one doesn't know where one stands and where one wants to go, one can deduce that one has no leadership or interest in shaping events.

I ask myself where Germany stands today and where it wants to go.

German and European unification are two sides of the same coin.

There must be no question for us that we in the European Union and the eurozone stand by Greece in solidarity.

I have every reason, despite the resentment and exasperation, to be proud. I have nothing better to be proud of than being proud of German unity.

George Bush was for me the most important ally on the road to German unity.

You didn't just pay lip service to the goal of overcoming the division of Europe and Germany... Rather, you put yourself at the forefront of those who encouraged us on the way to unity.

Where there is no will, no rules or laws can help.

We were united not only by political respect for each other, but also by deep mutual sympathy as people.

The army is under orders to defend every place.

Gorbachev's legacy is that he called time on communism, partially against his will, but in fact, he finished it off. Without violence. Without bloodshed. Beyond that, I am struggling to think of much else in terms of real legacy.

Two decisions have damaged the stability both of the euro and of Europe: the premature admission of Greece to the euro area and the breach and subsequent weakening of the stability and growth pact.

In a democracy, if you don't get the votes, nothing else is possible, no matter how wonderful your dreams.