Schmidt reinforced his image as a pragmatist by consistently voicing his deep skepticism of grand designs and long-term visions, albeit without ever renouncing his fundamental belief that there was a moral basis for his political objectives.
Il consolida son image de pragmatique en ne cessant d’affirmer le profond scepticisme que lui inspiraient les grands desseins et les visions à long terme, sans jamais se départir de la conviction que l’action politique devait être moralement fondée.