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| Michael Georg Link | |
|---|---|
| Name | Michael Georg Link |
| Birth date | 6 November 1963 |
| Birth place | Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Politician, Diplomat |
| Party | Free Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | University of Mainz |
| Office | Member of the Bundestag |
| Term | 2009–2013, 2017–2021 |
| Other | Director of OSCE ODIHR (2017–2020), Commissioner for Human Rights (GFP), Member of European Parliament (2004–2009) |
Michael Georg Link is a German politician and diplomat associated with the Free Democratic Party (Germany). He has served in legislative, executive and multilateral roles including mandates in the Bundestag, the European Parliament, and leadership at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. His career spans regional politics in Rhineland-Palatinate, national policymaking in Berlin, and international diplomacy in missions addressing electoral integrity, minority rights, and rule of law across Europe and Eurasia.
Born in Mainz in 1963, Link grew up in Rhineland-Palatinate during the Cold War era and completed secondary education before studying at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. At university he read political science, public law, and economics, engaging with student organizations and policy networks linked to the Free Democratic Party (Germany). He obtained a degree (Magister) and undertook early professional work in parliamentary offices in Mainz and in federal institutions in Bonn and Berlin.
Link entered elective politics via the Free Democratic Party (Germany) and served on local and state party bodies in Rhineland-Palatinate, including roles in the party's youth wing and regional executive committees. He was elected to the European Parliament for the FDP in 2004, aligning with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group and participating in committees relevant to external relations. Returning to domestic politics, he won a seat in the Bundestag in 2009 representing a constituency in Rhineland-Palatinate, became spokesman on foreign affairs for the FDP parliamentary group, and acted as an interlocutor on issues linked to European Union external policy, transatlantic ties with the United States, and relations with Russia and Turkey. After the 2013 election and a period out of the Bundestag, he was re-elected in 2017 and continued parliamentary work with emphasis on human rights, democratic institutions, and international law.
During his tenure in the European Parliament (2004–2009), Link served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and engaged with delegations for relations with the Black Sea Economic Cooperation region, the Mediterranean and candidate countries. He contributed to reports and resolutions concerning enlargement processes for Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, liaised with representatives from the European Commission, and worked within the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe to shape policy on neighborhood relations, stabilization in the Western Balkans, and EU human rights dialogues with China, Iran, and Belarus. He also participated in observer missions accredited by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Council of Europe for elections in countries including Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia.
Appointed Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in 2017, Link oversaw election observation missions, rule of law advisory programs, and minority rights monitoring across the OSCE's participating States. He led ODIHR responses to electoral crises in Moldova, North Macedonia, and Ukraine, coordinated with the United Nations agencies on human rights reporting, and worked closely with the European Union External Action Service and the Council of Europe to support capacity building. Link represented ODIHR at high-level meetings with foreign ministers from Germany, France, and Poland and briefed parliamentary delegations from the Bundestag and the European Parliament. After his ODIHR mandate, he has been engaged in advisory and mediation roles in bilateral and multilateral contexts, including election observation and constitutional reform assistance in parts of the Western Balkans and the Caucasus.
Link articulates a liberal internationalist stance characteristic of the Free Democratic Party (Germany), advocating for strengthened transatlantic cooperation with the United States, deepened integration within the European Union, and robust support for enlargement to Western Balkan states such as North Macedonia and Albania. On Russia and Ukraine, he has supported sanctions paired with diplomatic engagement and backed monitoring mechanisms through the OSCE. He promotes human rights protection via international institutions including the United Nations and the Council of Europe, emphasizes the integrity of electoral processes in partnership with NGOs like Transparency International and International IDEA, and champions minority rights frameworks affecting communities such as the Roma and ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe.
Link is married and resides in Mainz and maintains ties to regional institutions in Rhineland-Palatinate and civic groups linked to the Free Democratic Party (Germany). He has been awarded distinctions for his work on democracy and human rights by entities within the European Union and received commendations from several parliamentary assemblies and nongovernmental organizations for his leadership at ODIHR. He is a frequent speaker at policy forums hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and academic institutions such as Humboldt University of Berlin and the College of Europe.
Category:1963 births Category:German politicians Category:Free Democratic Party (Germany) politicians Category:Members of the Bundestag