However, I Have A Low Opinion Of

It Is Clear That Germany Needs A Foreign Policy In Which We Jointly Define European Interests. Thus Far, We Have Often Defined European Values, But We Have Been Much Too Weak In Defining Mutual Interests. To Preempt Any Possible Misunderstandings: We Cannot Give Short Shrift To Our Values Of Freedom, Democracy And Human Rights.

I'm Hearing Different Things, But There Is Concern That Stable Germany Is No Longer Quite So Stable.

I Am Certain That The United States Next Year, Under A New President - Regardless Whether It's Obama Or Mccain - Will Present An Ambitious Program Promoting Renewable Energies And Energy Efficiency. Europe Could Quickly Fall Behind.

The Claim That Democracy And Efficiency Are Contradictory Is Nonsense. That's Evident In The History Of Democracy Itself, Because It Is Only Democrats Who Were And Continue To Be Capable Of Learning From Mistakes. A More Appropriate Question Is To Ask Whether A Country Like China, Which Has Been So Incredibly Successful Economically, Is Actually Inefficient In Light Of Its Environmental Destruction And Its Corruption. In China's Perception, However, The Democratic Model Is Doubtlessly Inferior.

Turkey Is Currently Seeking To Make Itself More Independent From Europe And Is Turning To The East. Is That In Our Interest? Does It Help Us Bolster Western Values In Turkey, Or At Least Here At Home? Or Are We Making Ourselves Weaker Overall? At The Same Time, Turkey Is Violating Our European Moral Concepts. It's A Difficult Conflict To Endure, And It Leads To Necessary Disputes And Debates.