Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

“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.”

“There are also parties in Germany that support leaving the E.U. Everyone can see in the example of Britain what consequences that would have.”

“If the U.K. had new watertight proposals for the border, I don't think anyone in the E.U. would say, 'We don't want to talk about it.'”

“Our feeling of community and security in Europe requires safe external borders.”

“My husband and I had a very pragmatic agreement right from the start: whoever earns more works full time. So we switched the classic roles.”

“We have to acknowledge and discuss with citizens that Germany needs to take on more responsibility. One of the questions is, 'Can we keep a functioning international order?'”

“That the CDU has different political views on the topic of redistribution, on the topic of uniform social standards... than the French have, that is nothing new.”

“Brexit has been a strain on all of us. In some ways it has paralysed us.”

“Europe - and in particular Germany - must assume more responsibility. We must be ready to take on this responsibility and that has consequences domestically. That means, for example, we must be ready to spend more money on defense at home and abroad.”

“You don't restore people's faith in law and order with shrill tones, but with real policies.”

“When it comes to social issues such as the role of the family, I'm certainly more conservative than Angela Merkel. But on the big questions on what direction and where Germany should develop, when it comes to the economy, then we have very similar views.”

“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 there is a sport that I'm not particularly fond of, then it is synchronized swimming.”

“I stand here as the mother of three children, who knows firsthand how difficult it can be to combine family and a career.”

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

“You always stand on the shoulders of your predecessor.”

“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.”

“When Presidents Trump, Putin and Erdogan are mentioned in the same breath here in Germany, as they are all too often, this is a false equivalence that cannot be tolerated.”

“We need to be at the forefront of technological development again.”

“When it comes to me, I can rule out that I am scheming for a change.”