Harri Holkeri Quotes

We can have more democracy and openness and still be efficient.

For too long, decisions have been taken behind closed doors - tablets of stone have simply been past down to people without bothering to involve people, listen to their views or give them information about what we are doing and why.

We respect opposition to any position or policy. But we believe that the opinion that should prevail and be respected is that of the majority.

My dream of politics all my life has been that it is the common business, that it is something we owe to each other to understand and discuss with absolute frankness.

America is great precisely because it is an open society, and an open society recognizes that nobody is the ultimate arbiter — and that we may be wrong at times, even if we are powerful. We must be open to criticism and respect divergent and different views and interests.

Ours is a party with internal democracy. When we take a collective decision, it is not taken by a few people. It is taken only after serious analysis and wide consultations, in a true and democratic manner.

Unlike the Congress, our party believes in democracy and takes a collective decision.

We should probably figure out a new word for this. For us, "open" means transparent, as in "open source" - you're not locked in to what the original creator did. And in our case "open" also means distributed decision making.

I'm ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious ... I am for secret, dark debates.

Campaigns are not, and should not be, democratic processes. Otherwise nothing would ever get done.

Listening ... is good government.

Democracy means being able to make wrong decisions. That’s the way we learn and mature.

We need to listen and learn rather than dictate and declare. The US holds no patent on democracy or freedom: we are part of a larger and majority neighborhood of global and civic-minded nations that cherish the democratic process and democratic ideas over tyranny and dictatorial control.

[Sometimes] the minorities are too respectable, not to be entitled to some sacrifice of opinion, in the majority.

Democracy is not a result. Democracy is a process.

Democracy does not have to be a blood sport …

Somehow we must be able to show people that democracy is not about words, but action.

… the most powerful party must happily accept and hear the opinions of the weakest

Open societies, open governments, and an open international system are risky propositions. But they are humankind’s best hope for harnessing the power not only of states, but also of businesses, universities, civic organizations, and citizens to address the planetary problems that now touch us all.

You know how on movie sets there are specific chairs for each person? I hate that. We don't have names on our chairs. We have five chairs. Anyone can sit on them. I think the idea of names on chairs on a set is terrible. It's so dumb. So we got rid of that.

America's Founders were committed to a wide-open public forum in which all voices and perspectives could have a chance of being heard.

Guy's guys are of course welcome! But my audience runs the spectrum of humanity. There's something for everyone!

We are a country based on democracy, tolerance, and openness to the world.

The era of roadside decisions, declarations have gone. My government's decisions will be guided by teamwork and consultations.

You have to have doubts. I have collaborators I work with. I listen, and then I decide. That's how it works.