History

The Club of Three, established in the mid-1990s at the initiative of Lord Weidenfeld, brings together leading figures from business and politics, journalism and academic life, from the UK, France and Germany, to meet regularly in an attempt to extend discussion of key European issues beyond official circles. It was created on the premise that the level of policy debate in Europe would benefit from more regular consultation between politicians, business people, academics, journalists, and representatives of the professions and civil society, from Europe 's three leading nations.

Starting with regular "plenary" meetings which alternated between capitals, the Club of Three went on to hold many special sessions and workshops, on a range of subjects including European Enlargement, Defence, Welfare, Foreign Languages, Women and the Workplace, and a "Quadriga" with Italy.

Working with a wide range of partners including institutes, think tanks, foundations, companies and private philanthropists to achieve its goals, the Club of Three has aimed to promote broader understanding of political, economic and social developments within and between the three countries and wider Europe.

In 2006 the Club of Three embarked on a significant transition process with the establishment of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, created to serve as an umbrella-organisation that would implement the Club of Three and its various offshoots. At the same time it was envisioned that the Institute would shift away from one-off conferences towards long-term, results-oriented programmes in a number of ‘core competency' areas related to Europe's strategic threats and opportunities.