Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

There will certainly be times when Merkel and I will have opposing viewpoints. Just the fact that government work adheres to a different set of prerogatives than a party does makes conflicts unavoidable. ”

If the military is to show the capabilities that we demand and expect of it, then the defense budget has to continue to rise. ”

There are similarities with Angela Merkel, there are issues that separate us, and I'm showing that genuinely and authentically and won't create an artificial separation because it has something to do with character and attitude. ”

We made a clear commitment to NATO's two percent goal. I know that we can't get there from one day to the next, but I'm just as clear on the fact that we must get there in the end. ”

My goal is to unite the party, to bring it together. ”

I have the feeling we are the most uptight nation that ever walked this earth. ”

The CDU is willing to continue to take responsibility for our country. We want to do justice to the government mandate. ”

To those who cynically say today that liberal democracy would be 'obsolete,' I reply: liberal democracy, human rights, freedom of the press and the rule of law were the right way, are the right way, and will be the right way. ”

The strength of Europe at the end of the day has always been that we stuck together and that demands a great amount - probably even more so than in the past - of discussions, of balancing, of bringing along individual countries. ”

We will look at the entire immigration question from the protection of outer borders through the asylum procedures to integration, in particular its efficacy. ”