Andreas Michaelis

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.

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.{{Cite web|last=Knaul|first=Susanne|date=2011-08-08|title=Auf die nächsten vier Jahre|url=https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/politik/auf-die-naechsten-vier-jahre/|access-date=2021-04-30|website=Jüdische Allgemeine|language=de}}

From 2015 to March 2018 Michaelis was Political Director of the Federal Foreign Office.{{Cite news|last1=Sattar|first1=Majid|last2=Berlin|title=Revirement im Auswärtigen Amt: Steinmeier ordnet sein Ministerium neu|language=de|work=FAZ.NET|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/revirement-im-auswaertigen-amt-steinmeier-ordnet-sein-ministerium-neu-13591714.html|access-date=2021-04-30|issn=0174-4909}} 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.{{Cite news|last=Sturm|first=Daniel Friedrich|date=2018-03-13|title=Auswärtiges Amt: Andreas Michaelis wird neuer beamteter Staatssekretär|work=DIE WELT|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article174494128/Auswaertiges-Amt-Andreas-Michaelis-wird-neuer-beamteter-Staatssekretaer.html|access-date=2021-04-30}} 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.{{Cite news|title=Konkurrenz für den starken Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/maas-teilt-die-macht-in-seinem-ministerium-konkurrenz-fuer-den-starken-staatssekretaer-im-auswaertigen-amt/24168560.html|access-date=2021-04-30|newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online|date=2 April 2019|language=de|last1=Monath|first1=Hans}} 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.{{Cite news|last=SPIEGEL|first=Severin Weiland, Christoph Schult, Christiane Hoffmann, Matthias Gebauer, Christian Esch, DER|title=Bundesregierung als Vermittlerin: Der lange Weg zur Libyen-Konferenz|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/libyen-konferenz-wie-sich-die-bundesregierung-als-vermittlerin-einbrachte-a-00000000-0002-0001-0000-000169006308|access-date=2021-05-21|newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=17 January 2020|language=de}}File:Deputy Secretary Sherman Meets with German State Secretary Andreas Michaelis (52554996569) (cropped).jpg in 2022]]In January 2020 it was announced that Michaelis would succeed Peter Wittig as Ambassador in London.{{Cite web|title=Außenministerium: Personalwechsel im Auswärtigen Amt: Michaelis wird neuer Botschafter in London|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/aussenministerium-personalwechsel-im-auswaertigen-amt-michaelis-wird-neuer-botschafter-in-london/25455688.html|access-date=2021-04-30|website=www.handelsblatt.com|language=de}}{{Cite web|last=Zeitung|first=Süddeutsche|title=Andreas Michaelis|url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/profil-andreas-michaelis-1.4776192|access-date=2021-04-30|website=Süddeutsche.de|date=29 January 2020 |language=de}} 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.{{Cite news|last=SPIEGEL|first=Christoph Schult, Matthias Gebauer, DER|title=AA: Miguel Berger wird Maas' neuer Staatssekretär|url=https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/nahost-experte-miguel-berger-wird-maas-neuer-staatssekretaer-a-90f4f894-6ba0-43fa-a5ed-ef816ec83c3c|access-date=2021-04-30|newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=21 January 2020|language=de}}

On 3 January, Michaelis was again appointed State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office under Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.{{Cite web|title=State Secretary Andreas Michaelis|url=https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/about-us/leadership-federal-foreign-office/sts-michaelis/232114|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-07|website=German Federal Foreign Office|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103203116/https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/about-us/leadership-federal-foreign-office/sts-michaelis/232114 |archive-date=2022-01-03 }}

In August 2023, he became the German Ambassador to the United States, succeeding Emily Haber.{{Cite web |last=tagesschau.de |title=Bericht: Lambsdorff soll Botschafter in Moskau werden |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/lambsdorff-moskau-botschafter-101.html |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=tagesschau.de |language=de |quote=So solle der Staatssekretär im Auswärtigen Amt und frühere Botschafter in London, Andreas Michaelis, neuer deutscher Botschafter in Washington werden.}}{{Cite web |title=Germany's New China Strategy: A Conversation with German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis {{!}} CSIS Events |url=https://www.csis.org/events/germanys-new-china-strategy-conversation-german-ambassador-andreas-michaelis |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=www.csis.org |language=en}} He formally presented his credentials to Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol of the United States' State Department, on August 3rd, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Twitter {{!}} @GermanAmbUSA |url=https://twitter.com/GermanAmbUSA/status/1687217387844603905 |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=Twitter |language=en}}

According to Reuters, in an article published on 19 January, 2025, Michaelis warned that the incoming Trump administration would rob U.S. law enforcement and the media of their independence and hand big tech companies co-governing power. Reuters said a confidential briefing document, dated January 14 and signed by Michaelis, described Donald Trump's agenda for his second White House term as one of maximum disruption that would bring about "a redefinition of the constitutional order - maximum concentration of power with the president at the expense of Congress and the federal states."{{Cite news|title=Exclusive: German ambassador warns of Trump plan to redefine constitutional order, document shows|language=en|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/german-ambassador-warns-trump-plan-redefine-constitutional-order-document-shows-2025-01-18/}}

Michaelis is an Honorary Fellow of Keble College, Oxford.{{Cite web|title=Keble College: Honorary Fellows|url=https://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/hon-fellows.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=30 April 2021|website=Keble College|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013044436/https://www.keble.ox.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/hon-fellows.pdf |archive-date=2019-10-13 }} He has received various decorations and honours including the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy,{{Cite web|title=Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana|url=https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/360261|access-date=2021-04-30|website=www.quirinale.it}} the Order of Civil Merit of Spain[https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2022/10/12/pdfs/BOE-A-2022-16657.pdf Boletín Oficial del Estado] and the French Legion of Honour.

Michaelis is married with three children. He is a fan and member of 1. FC Union Berlin.{{Cite news|title=Seine zweite Staatsangehörigkeit ist der 1. FC Union|url=https://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/deutscher-botschafter-in-london-ist-fan-der-koepenicker-seine-zweite-staatsangehoerigkeit-ist-der-1-fc-union/26646968.html|access-date=2021-04-30|newspaper=Der Tagesspiegel Online|date=22 November 2020|language=de|last1=Holden|first1=Kit}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/about-us/leadership-federal-foreign-office/sts-michaelis/232114 CV from the website of the Federal Foreign Office]
• [https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-government-looking-for-quick-fix-on-circumcision-ban/ German government looking for quick fix on circumcision ban]

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Category:Ambassadors of Germany to the United Kingdom

Category:Ambassadors of Germany to Singapore

Category:Ambassadors of Germany to Israel

Category:People from Hanover

Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit

Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic