Martin Schulz Quotes

If certain selected bodies of men, deputed on these principles, determine contrary to the wishes and expectations of their constituents, the people have an undoubted right to reject their decisions, to call for a revision of their conduct, to depute others in their room, or if they think proper, to demand further time for deliberation on matters of the greatest moment: …

I actually don't believe in governance by referendum. I believe that we have a democracy, that we elect people to make decisions.

the only vehicle through which we can get a clear-cut and unequivocal decision of the people.]

The EU suffers from … a structural democratic deficit. Of its seven institutions, just one—the European Parliament—is directly elected by the people, and it cannot initiate legislation.

We can conceive of various kinds of democracy.

Democratic government is difficult. It is much more difficult than populists claim. It's not like running a business or a police force. It demands compromise.

One of the notable aspects of the democratic process is that one need not know anything about a subject in order to pass laws about it.

I'm all for experimenting with sortition - randomly selected representative bodies of citizens. But I don't favor direct democracy. We're busy. We have lives. There is reddit. Who has time to work out the right answer to the thousand policy choices a gov't must make all the time?

The Paris Commune was first and foremost a democracy. The government was a body elected by universal suffrage.

It is unfortunate that people believe that in order to democratise something you have to get politicians out of the system.

We are in a democracy, and I think for all issues, whatever matters that the opposition may have apprehension on, there is a forum, and it is called Parliament.

In Parliament we debate on and we decide the laws that are going to govern the country.

A messy participatory process is representative democracy at its best.

The debates of that great assembly are frequently vague and perplexed, seeming to be dragged rather than to march, to the intended goal. Something of this sort must, I think, always happen in public democratic assemblies.

I don't order laws, I propose them.

We make a great mistake in supposing all people are capable of self-government.

Of course democracy is good, but it is a process, not a prescription.

If we had a consensus we wouldn't have to go to a referendum.

A town meeting is a legislature of citizens, for citizens, and by citizens. The fact that each citizen of the town is also a legislator separates the New England town meeting from all other forms of democracy.

Voters do not decide issues. They decide who will decide issues.

The Congress is not a court of law but it is a court of public opinion.

Legislating should be done in a manner that is understandable to the governed.

A radical ... and revolutionary ... attack upon the fundamental basic principle of representative democracy for free people.

Democratic self-government is a plant of remarkably slow growth

In all forms of government the people is the true legislator.