Who is Who – Rainer Rudolph: Historian and expert on EU and neighborhood relations

An experienced German diplomat, historian by training, and current Vice President of the Munich Security Conference, Rainer Rudolph will become the new German Ambassador to Pristina.

Rudolph has been Vice President of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) since 2023. When asked how he attained this position at such a prominent global forum, he responded modestly:

“It’s easy. All you have to do is work as a diplomat for 25 years, try not to mess things up, and then, if you’re lucky, you’ll become Vice President of the Munich Security Conference.”

His fields of expertise include EU foreign relations—particularly neighborhood and enlargement policy—as well as transatlantic relations.

In an article he authored five years ago for the German journal Internationale Politik, Rudolph noted that the six Western Balkan states, which were granted an EU accession perspective back in 2003 under the Thessaloniki Agenda, hold particularly high expectations of the European Union.

At the time, he observed that the EU was no longer the magnet it had been in the 1990s and was increasingly facing competition from other powers vying for influence in its neighborhood in various ways.

“The EU should develop a coherent neighborhood policy for its European neighbors, regardless of whether they seek EU membership. It should design a new model of economic ties and political integration that is feasible even without membership (while not excluding the possibility of future membership),” Rudolph wrote in 2020.

With regard to resolving the Russia–Ukraine conflict, this German diplomat stresses that the most important principle is the preservation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and that Ukrainians themselves must decide the fate of their country.

He is also a strong advocate of greater European—particularly German—investment in security and defense.

Before joining the MSC, Rudolph served as Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy in Vienna until 2023. He had previously held posts at the Permanent Representation of Germany to the European Union in Brussels, as well as at German embassies in Warsaw and Washington.

In Berlin, he twice worked in the Federal Chancellery, including as Head of the Department responsible for EU foreign relations, EU enlargement, and relations with EU member states, as well as Brexit negotiations.

History and literature

According to his biography, Rudolph began his diplomatic career after completing his studies, driven by a strong desire for international experience. He believes diplomacy offers a unique insight into world politics and brings new challenges every three years.

He studied history and German literature at the University of Tübingen. He speaks German, English, and French.