Schmidt remained a mentor to the German people for decades after leaving active politics. International crises, global order, and the future of Europe remained his fundamental preoccupations, and he saw a role and a responsibility for his own country in addressing and shaping all three of them.
施密特从政界退隐后数十年仍然扮演了德国民众导师的角色。国际危机、全球秩序和欧洲未来仍然是他最基本的关注。他认为自己的国家在解决和影响这三大问题时有责任扮演力所能及的角色。