---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The largest weight is now on Germany's…"
description: "\"The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders. Chancellor Merkel must continue to convince people of the EU's importance; she must spearhead the eff..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg"
---

#  The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders…

![“The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders. Chancellor Merkel must continue to convince people of the EU's importance; she must spearhead the effort to redefine the EU. In order to do this, Germany must become a muscular democracy. It needs to shoulder far more responsibility for the…” quote by Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg)

> “The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders. Chancellor Merkel must continue to convince people of the EU's importance; she must spearhead the effort to redefine the EU. In order to do this, Germany must become a muscular democracy. It needs to shoulder far more responsibility for the physical security of Europe, especially Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. So far, unfortunately, Germany has taken the lead in disrespecting Europe's borders by opening its doors to more than a million refugees and migrants.”

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Germany must assume greater security and political responsibility for Europe, especially amid refugee influx.

**In simple terms:** Germany should lead Europe’s security and political stability.

Key Takeaway

Embrace stronger European leadership.

Themes

responsibility security politics migration leadership

Mood

concerned determined

Type

political strategic

When to use this quote

- policy debates
- international negotiations
- public opinion
- humanitarian response

Key Concepts

national sovereignty EU integration refugee policy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can Germany balance humanitarian aid with security?
- What reforms can strengthen EU unity?

A Different Perspective

Balancing openness with security is complex.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Chancellor Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chancellor-merkel-434878/) [Convince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Eastern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eastern/) [Eastern europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eastern-europe/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Eu Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eu-importance-2896421/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Eu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-eu-2669080/) [Redefine Eu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/redefine-eu-5246275/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) [Responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/responsibility/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Unfortunately Germany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunately-germany-5246276/)

## Related quotes

> [“Quand on vieillit, on se rend compte que tout a eu de l'importance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/quand-on-vieillit-on-se-rend-compte-que-tout-a-eu-de-l-importance/)

[Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/)

> [One has to explain to people that the EU in this form is the answer both to 1945 and to the 21st century, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peer-steinbruck/one-has-to-explain-to-people-that-the-eu-in-this-form-is-the-answer/)

[Peer Steinbruck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peer-steinbruck/)

> [ Having said that, Angela Merkel's electoral district is here \[ in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania\].And so, if Chancellor Merkel loses here, her party, which has ruled… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soraya-sarhaddi-nelson/having-said-that-angela-merkel-s-electoral-district-is-here-in/)

[Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soraya-sarhaddi-nelson/)

> [I would like to hear from Chancellor Merkel what she was thinking when opening the borders. I cannot imagine at all what it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaroslaw-kaczynski/i-would-like-to-hear-from-chancellor-merkel-what-she-was-thinking/)

[Jaroslaw Kaczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaroslaw-kaczynski/)

> [One of the great qualities of Chancellor Merkel is that she is steady. She analyzes a situation. She's honest. Sometimes we've had disagreements, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/one-of-the-great-qualities-of-chancellor-merkel-is-that-she-is-steady/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I do believe that Chancellor Merkel and Germany are a lynchpin in protecting the basic tenets of a liberal, market-based democratic order that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-do-believe-that-chancellor-merkel-and-germany-are-a-lynchpin-in/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I hope people appreciate Chancellor Merkel because, although she traditionally is considered center-right and I'm considered center-left, the truth is that we share those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-hope-people-appreciate-chancellor-merkel-because-although-she/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [I admire Chancellor Merkel for her leadership qualities, but she is leading Europe in the wrong direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/i-admire-chancellor-merkel-for-her-leadership-qualities-but-she-is/)

[George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/)

> [Italy spills over to everything. Italy is a huge banking system. It has been the major banking system in Eastern Europe. It's worked with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/italy-spills-over-to-everything-italy-is-a-huge-banking-system-it-has/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [From its earliest days in the nineteenth century, and until the Holocaust, the Orthodox rabbinate in eastern Europe was not enthusiastic about the Zionist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/from-its-earliest-days-in-the-nineteenth-century-and-until-the/)

[Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/)

> [“It was in Cleveland that Magic Slim became the most successful pornographic film producer in America. His training center was a key link in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/it-was-in-cleveland-that-magic-slim-became-the-most-successful/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [When I joined the Army in the late '70s, there was a real threat from Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, so all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-strawbridge/when-i-joined-the-army-in-the-late-70s-there-was-a-real-threat-from/)

[Dick Strawbridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-strawbridge/)

> [I'm a historian by training and by conviction. And so the thing that has throughout informed my thinking about international relations is history. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/i-m-a-historian-by-training-and-by-conviction-and-so-the-thing-that/)

[Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/)

> [For people familiar with Eastern Europe, Marci Shore's 'The Taste of Ashes' is, in spite of its subject matter, delicious. A professor at Yale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-davies/for-people-familiar-with-eastern-europe-marci-shore-s-the-taste-of/)

[Norman Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-davies/)

> [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

## More by Anthony Glees

> [German dominance in the EU is a fact of life. But for historical reasons, it would be the last country to be swept away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/german-dominance-in-the-eu-is-a-fact-of-life-but-for-historical/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [If there ever was a time for a cool, rational and unemotional series of responses on the part of people in Europe, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/if-there-ever-was-a-time-for-a-cool-rational-and-unemotional-series/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [Germany must continue to champion the world's biggest free single market, and under its leadership, the EU can overcome its internal differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/germany-must-continue-to-champion-the-world-s-biggest-free-single/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [The pacifist streak in German politics is a problem. But Greens and Social Democrats have to ask themselves: In an imperfect world, what do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/the-pacifist-streak-in-german-politics-is-a-problem-but-greens-and/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [I do not think the British want to become America's "Airstrip One," as the British Isles are called in George Orwell's "1984." The EU's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/i-do-not-think-the-british-want-to-become-america-s-airstrip-one-as/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [We are in an extremely dangerous situation. It was ignorant and ahistorical for Donald Trump to say that the EU will dissolve. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/we-are-in-an-extremely-dangerous-situation-it-was-ignorant-and/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

> [You won't find anyone in the UK who doesn't admire what Germany has become. The bilateral relationship between London and Berlin will become more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/you-won-t-find-anyone-in-the-uk-who-doesn-t-admire-what-germany-has/)

[Anthony Glees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

[Explore all 8 Anthony Glees quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/)

## More Convince quotes

> [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/)

[Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/)

> [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/)

[Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/)

> [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/)

[Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/)

> [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/)

[Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/)

> [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/)

[Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/)

> [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/)

[Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/)

> [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/)

[Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/)

> [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/)

[Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/)

> [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/)

[Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/)

> [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/)

[Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/)

> [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

> [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

[Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convince/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders. Chancellor Merkel must continue to convince people of the EU's importance; she must spearhead the effort to redefine the EU. In order to do this, Germany must become a muscular democracy. It needs to shoulder far more responsibility for the physical security of Europe, especially Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean. So far, unfortunately, Germany has taken the lead in disrespecting Europe's borders by opening its doors to more than a million refugees and migrants.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anthony Glees"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-shoulders-chancellor-merkel/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Convince"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-shoulders-chancellor-merkel/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f1/anthony-glees-45968_convince_the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-s_1455697.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The largest weight is now on Germany's shoulders. Chancellor Merkel must continue to convince people of the…” — Anthony Glees",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anthony Glees",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-glees/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The largest weight is now on...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-shoulders-chancellor-merkel/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-glees/the-largest-weight-is-now-on-germany-s-shoulders-chancellor-merkel/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
