Daily Inspiration Quote by Gerhard Schroder

“A very thorough consultation process is underway” is the statesman’s classic way of turning a live wire into a padded room. In the early 2000s, missile defense wasn’t just a technical debate; it was a loyalty test inside the Western alliance, with Washington pressing ahead and European capitals weighing domestic skepticism, Russian backlash, and the optics of being treated as junior partners. Schroder’s sentence performs a familiar diplomatic trick: it promises action while functionally postponing commitment.

The key word is “consultation.” It signals deference to procedure and partners, but it also quietly relocates the decision from the realm of principle (“Is this wise?” “Is it legal?” “Does it make us safer?”) into the realm of process (“Are we aligned?” “Have we met?”). “Very thorough” is the rhetorical equivalent of a speed bump. It implies seriousness and diligence while giving political cover for delay, dissent, or eventual refusal. “Underway” adds momentum without revealing direction; something is happening, but no one is on the hook for what happens next.

Schroder’s intent is less to inform than to manage risk: reassure the U.S. that Germany is listening, reassure German voters that Berlin isn’t rubber-stamping an American security project, and keep Russia from reading Germany’s posture as outright endorsement. The subtext is cautious sovereignty: we’ll participate in the conversation, but we reserve the right to slow-walk the outcome. In an alliance, process language is often the only safe language.