For the Foundation, avoiding institutional failure as a historic lesson means strengthening democracies' capacity to act: to make timely decisions, to communicate them credibly, and to implement them effectively. Yet many institutions face structural limitations, slow processes, and insufficient strategic and administrative readiness for the scale of current challenges. When implementation fails, legitimacy erodes further. Therefore, strong democratic institutions depend on courageous and skilled individuals who are willing to accept responsibility.
Renewed partnership with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)
Against this backdrop, the Alfred Landecker Foundation has launched a new partnership with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF). The initiative connects emerging leaders and equips them with the skills, networks, and practical tools needed to improve decision-making and deliver solutions under pressure. The importance of fostering transatlantic cooperation at the next-generation leadership level remains evident - despite disagreements, recognizing that Germany and Europe will not be able to address future geopolitical, security, and democratic challenges on their own.
The workshop series FutureScape
brings together leaders from across diverse areas of the public sector to address critical questions that will determine Germany’s — and ultimately Europe’s — resilience and capacity to act. It focuses on three pivotal policy areas: defense, migration, and innovation. Participants examine strategic pathways forward, but also the institutional realities that decide whether policies succeed: administrative coordination, bureaucratic bottlenecks, stakeholder alignment, and the operational conditions of implementation. By linking policy substance with implementation expertise, FutureScape strengthens the ability to translate democratic intent into democratic outcomes.
The FutureScape programme fosters a European network of future decision-makers and connects them with practitioners and experts from the field. By developing leadership skills, facilitating the exchange of best practices, and building lasting networks, it makes a direct contribution to a more resilient democratic future — one that learns from the past and is ready to act in the present.