Our topics

How can the European Union survive as a “peace project” and continue to develop its foreign, peace and security policy? How will a global order look like when the political and economic balance of power increasingly shifts in favour of China? How can international rules be designed to better overcome financial, ecological and social disparities? And what will be the consequences for democracy and social cohesion of shifting debates into the digital sphere and of our response to populist arguments?

Helmut Schmidt’s political interests form the starting point for the three programmes that are at the heart of the foundation’s work: 1) European and International Politics, 2) Global Markets and Social Justice, and 3) Democracy and Society.

The foundation’s experts analyse current issues in their own research and use innovative formats for events and publications in their work with representatives of civil society, politics and academia. We take an interdisciplinary approach to topics, explore global perspectives and look at phenomena from the viewpoint of contemporary history as well as in their present context.