MICHAEL GEORG LINK (GERMANY)

Vice-President Michael Georg Link was appointed Special Representative on South East Europe in July 2022.

Michael Georg Link (Germany) is a parliamentarian of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and represents the constituency of Heibronn, Baden-Württemberg, in the German Bundestag. He is a member of the Bundestag's Committee on European Union Affairs and a substitute member of its Budget Committee and Committee on Foreign Affairs, spokesman on European policy for his parliamentary group, and deputy chairman of the German OSCE PA delegation. Since March 2022, Link has also been the German Federal Government's Co-ordinator of Transatlantic Co-operation.

From 2014 to 2017, he served as Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). Before becoming ODIHR Director, he was responsible within the German Government for OSCE, EU, Council of Europe and NATO matters as Minister of State for Europe from 2012 to 2013, and was a Member of the German Bundestag from 2005 to 2013.

He served as Vice-Chair of the Third General Committee of the OSCE PA from 2018 to 2022.

As Special Representative on South East Europe, Link is tasked with promoting dialogue in all segments of society, including at the parliamentary level, to encourage reconciliation in the region. Please see below for his full mandate.

MANDATE:

• Follow key political and other developments in the region, including with respect to political and electoral processes, institution building, regional cooperation and the evolution of the foreign policy priorities set by the countries in the region.

• Contribute to advancing regional dialogue, in particular at the parliamentary level, in order to advance regional cooperation processes, particularly in the Western Balkans.

• Support, as required and appropriate, the work of the OSCE Field Operations in the region.

• Contribute to raise awareness on the important work of the OSCE Field Operations.

• Advise the President on developments in the region which warrant the attention of the Assembly.

• Communicate with relevant actors within the OSCE as well as PA’s Committees dealing with migration and terrorism.