Andreas Michaelis

Andreas Michaelis (born 24 July 1959 in Hanover, Germany) is a German diplomat who served as State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office in the government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz since 3 January 2022, and was previously the German Ambassador to the Court of St James from May 2020 until January 2022.[1] Since August 2023, he has been the German Ambassador to the United States.[2]

Andreas Michaelis
German Ambassador to the United States
Assumed office
August 2023
PresidentFrank-Walter Steinmeier
Preceded byEmily Haber
Personal details
Born1959 (age 63–64)
Hannover, West Germany
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Hanover, University of Oxford

Early life and education

After attending school in Hanover and completing his military service, he studied in Hanover and Oxford, gaining a Master's and a Master of Letters.

Career

Michaelis joined the German diplomatic service in 1989. From 1991 to 1992 he worked in the office of Minister of State Helmut Schäfer at the Federal Foreign Office, and from 1992 to 1995 he was First Secretary Political Affairs at the German Embassy in Tel Aviv. From 1995 to 1998 he was in the Human Rights Task Force at the Federal Foreign Office.

Under Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, he served from 1998 as Deputy Spokesman and from 1999 as Spokesman of the Federal Foreign Office. From 2002 to 2006 Michaelis was the German Ambassador to Singapore. From 2006 to 2007 he served as Director for Asian and Pacific Affairs and from 2007 to 2011 as Director for Middle Eastern Affairs and North Africa in Berlin. From July 2011 to July 2015 he was German Ambassador to Israel.[3]

From 2015 to March 2018 Michaelis was Political Director of the Federal Foreign Office.[4] In this role his responsibilities included the negotiations on the Ukraine dossier, on the implementation of the nuclear agreement with Iran and on a political solution to the Syria conflict.

From March 2018 to April 2020 Michaelis was one of two State Secretaries of the Federal Foreign Office.[5] His predecessor Markus Ederer moved to Moscow as EU Ambassador. As State Secretary, Michaelis was responsible for, among other things, the Political Directorates-General at the Federal Foreign Office, and hence for European policy, relations with the USA and Russia, as well as Middle Eastern, Asian and African affairs.[6] In autumn 2019, Michaelis, together with the Federal Chancellor’s foreign policy advisor, Jan Hecker, set up and led the Berlin Process, which in January 2020 led to the Berlin Conference on Libya, which established a ceasefire and created a roadmap for a transitional administration in Libya.[7]

Michaelis with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in 2022

In January 2020 it was announced that Michaelis would succeed Peter Wittig as Ambassador in London.[8][9] He took up the post in London in May 2020. He was succeeded as State Secretary by the Director-General for Economic Affairs at the Federal Foreign Office, Miguel Berger.[10]

On 3 January, Michaelis was again appointed State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office under Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.[1]

In August 2023, he became the German Ambassador to the United States, succeeding Emily Haber.[11][12] He formally presented his credentials to Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol of the United States' State Department, on August 3rd, 2023.[13][2]

Recognition

Michaelis is an Honorary Fellow of Keble College, Oxford.[14] He has received various decorations and honours including the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy,[15] the Order of Civil Merit of Spain[16] and the French Legion of Honour.

Personal life

Michaelis is married with three children. He is a fan and member of 1. FC Union Berlin.[17]

References
  1. "State Secretary Andreas Michaelis". German Federal Foreign Office. Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  2. "Ambassador Andreas Michaelis". German Missions to the United States. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  3. Knaul, Susanne (2011-08-08). "Auf die nächsten vier Jahre". Jüdische Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  4. Sattar, Majid; Berlin. "Revirement im Auswärtigen Amt: Steinmeier ordnet sein Ministerium neu". FAZ.NET (in German). ISSN 0174-4909. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  5. Sturm, Daniel Friedrich (2018-03-13). "Auswärtiges Amt: Andreas Michaelis wird neuer beamteter Staatssekretär". DIE WELT. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  6. Monath, Hans (2 April 2019). "Konkurrenz für den starken Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  7. SPIEGEL, Severin Weiland, Christoph Schult, Christiane Hoffmann, Matthias Gebauer, Christian Esch, DER (17 January 2020). "Bundesregierung als Vermittlerin: Der lange Weg zur Libyen-Konferenz". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 2021-05-21.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. "Außenministerium: Personalwechsel im Auswärtigen Amt: Michaelis wird neuer Botschafter in London". www.handelsblatt.com (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  9. Zeitung, Süddeutsche (29 January 2020). "Andreas Michaelis". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  10. SPIEGEL, Christoph Schult, Matthias Gebauer, DER (21 January 2020). "AA: Miguel Berger wird Maas' neuer Staatssekretär". Der Spiegel (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. tagesschau.de. "Bericht: Lambsdorff soll Botschafter in Moskau werden". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-08-22. So solle der Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt und frühere Botschafter in London, Andreas Michaelis, neuer deutscher Botschafter in Washington werden.
  12. "Germany's New China Strategy: A Conversation with German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis | CSIS Events". www.csis.org. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  13. "Twitter | @GermanAmbUSA". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  14. "Keble College: Honorary Fellows" (PDF). Keble College. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  15. "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana". www.quirinale.it. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  16. Boletín Oficial del Estado
  17. Holden, Kit (22 November 2020). "Seine zweite Staatsangehörigkeit ist der 1. FC Union". Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 2021-04-30.
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