AGI Profiles: Jens Hanefeld

Frederik Fink

Halle Foundation/AGI Intern

Frederik Fink is a summer 2025 Halle Foundation Intern at the American-German Institute. Originally from Frankfurt, Germany, he recently completed a bachelor’s degree in history and international relations at King’s College London. His studies focused on the intersection between history and international politics as well as U.S. and UK foreign policy and national security and Russian politics and culture. His undergraduate thesis examined Germany’s policy toward the Western European Union (WEU), analyzing it through the lens of the agency-versus-structure dichotomy.

Frederik has a particular interest in the evolution of German foreign and security policy as well as the dynamics of German-U.S. relations. In 2022, he volunteered with Mission Siret, delivering humanitarian aid to southern Ukraine.

German Ambassador to the United States

Jens Hanefeld took up the role as Germany’s ambassador to the United States on August 8, 2025. He replaces Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, who retired this summer. Michaelis had drawn attention at the start of the second Trump administration when a leaked cable from the German Embassy predicted that President Trump would pursue a strategy of “maximum disruption” and warned of the “erosion of constitutional principles.” Michaelis was criticized at home for the content of this report, and important figures such as Jens Spahn, now the CDU/CSU Caucus Leader in the Bundestag, accused him of “erratic statements” and inappropriate “moral preaching” toward one of Germany’s closest allies. It is unusual for such controversy to attach to a German ambassador in the field and underscores the importance and sensitivity surrounding Germany’s most consequential relationship. Hanefeld will be the steward of Germany’s interests at a time of unpredictability and U.S. strategic reposturing and in the early days of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government.

Early Career

Hanefeld studied history and English at the Freie Universität Berlin before joining the Federal Foreign Office in Bonn in 1991 After serving in Bonn and Bulgaria, the emerging diplomat was assigned to Washington, DC, in 1997, the first of his three tours in the United States. Afterwards followed a period of eight years in a central node of foreign policymaking in Germany, beginning with the job of private secretary to the State Secretary. Hanefeld was later promoted to head the combined office of the two State Secretaries, who are the most senior career diplomats in the German system. During this period Hanefeld worked closely with several State Secretaries who served as ambassador to the United States—Jürgen Chrobog, Klaus Scharioth, and Peter Ammon.

At the time, the U.S.-German relationship was severely strained and marked by a “structural break” between the two close allies over the Iraq War. German foreign policy at the time, as outlined in the 2002 coalition contract between the Social Democrats and Greens, concentrated on strengthening the United Nations and deepening security cooperation within the European Union through the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), while preserving cooperation with the United States in regard to Afghanistan and within NATO. The relationship improved during the first Merkel government (2005–2009), with differences persisting on Russia policy, Iraq, and combating Jihadist terrorism.

Back to DC

Simultaneously with the formation of a new government in 2009, Hanefeld returned to Washington, DC, in the number two slot as Deputy Chief of Mission. His stationing coincided with President Obama’s election, which sparked renewed optimism in American-German ties,[1] despite mounting global and bilateral challenges. President Obama’s aspiration to incorporate a Pacific focus in American foreign policy included the “pivot to Asia” and the U.S. approach of “leading from behind” during the Libya intervention in 2011, highlighted changing emphasis in Washington. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had already strained ties by publicly calling for the removal of U.S. nuclear weapons from German territory.[2] These developments unfolded against the backdrop of Germany’s persistently low defense spending and limited military capabilities, prompting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to warn that such disparities were eroding the political foundation of NATO.[3] The friction was amplified when Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that Chancellor Merkel’s mobile phone was targeted by the U.S. National Security Agency.

Volkswagen

In 2014, Hanefeld took administrative leave to take up the role as Senior Vice President for International, European, and Trade Policy at Volkswagen. It was an unusual move for a senior German diplomat and also for Germany’s largest auto company, which was increasingly affected by international affairs as a globally active company. When the VW emissions scandal—that VW cars sold in America contained software in their diesel engines that detected testing conditions and altered performance to produce improved results—erupted, the diplomat’s position as a government official on loan to a private company was criticized by lobby monitoring groups and politicians, though no allegations of improper action were leveled. The government defended Hanefeld’s prominent position at VW as a factor helping to intensify contacts with the business community and building knowledge about the private sector in the Foreign Office.

Return to Service

In September 2024, Jens Hanefeld returned to an active diplomatic role and was named ambassador to Ethiopia and permanent representative to the African Union. During his time in Addis Ababa, he praised Ethiopia’s currency reforms. Particularly in green energy, he saw the country’s tremendous potential, as it can leverage abundant, carbon-neutral power, something particularly valued in Germany. Hanefeld, however, also warned on multiple occasions that Ethiopia must emphasize national reconciliation after two years of brutal war against the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front in its northernmost region of Tigray. Learning from German reunification, “national reconciliation is never easy,” as “you have to work for it, commit to it, and compromise. It will never work without these.” He has also emphasized the untapped potential that lies in Africa. Besides hosting the German African Business Summit in Nairobi last year, the African free trade area is for him an important factor in unlocking its economic potential, which could significantly enhance trade relations among African countries and the EU. He defined his post as a “facilitator of cooperation who helps strengthen the longstanding ties” between Germany and Ethiopia.

Challenging Times Ahead

The choice of Jens Hanefeld as ambassador to the United States came as a surprise within government circles, where there had been widespread speculation about who would get the nod for Washington. Hanefeld brings a thorough knowledge of the U.S. political system and experience in the Foreign Office during an earlier period of turbulent transatlantic relations.

For Chancellor Merz, Hanefeld’s decade-long experience as a senior executive at Volkswagen may have been a key factor—particularly given that Merz himself has a background bridging politics and the private sector. Hanefeld will represent Germany at a time when American retrenchment and remaking of the international trade system are colliding with Berlin’s and the EU’s efforts to uphold the rules-based international order. While the EU still awaits U.S. follow-through on key trade deal commitments, Germany’s automotive industry faces a dual challenge: the aggressive push of Chinese electric vehicles into the market and the continued strain from President Trump’s tariffs. For years, the success of German premium brands in the United States has been a particular irritant for Trump. At the same time, Washington and Brussels remain out of sync on imposing further costs on Russia for its war in Ukraine and failure to engage in serious peace talks. Adding to the uncertainty, Berlin is watching the U.S. defense posture review with apprehension, as the Trump administration considers whether to scale back America’s military footprint in Europe. In this context, appointing an ambassador with such long experience in Washington and such a deep understanding of one of Germany’s key industries from the inside could be just what the bilateral relationship needs.

[1] Matthew Rhodes, “Germany and the United States: Whither “Partners in Leadership”?,” German Politics & Society 36, no. 3 (2018), 26.

[2] Ibid., 28.

[3] Ibid., 29.