Natalie Pawlik concludes her term as Federal Commissioner for Matters Related to Resettlers and National Minorities

After more than three years in office, Natalie Pawlik, Member of the German Bundestag, has concluded her term as the Federal Government Commissioner for Matters Related to Ethnic German Resettlers and National Minorities. In this role, she was a key point of contact for both the national minorities and ethnic groups in Germany as well as the German minorities abroad. Throughout her tenure, she maintained a close and constructive relationship with FUEN and its Working Group of German Minorities (AGDM).

In her recently published Activity Report 2022–2025 (in German), Natalie Pawlik reflects on the key developments and political priorities of her time in office. She also highlights the work of FUEN and emphasises its role as the largest umbrella organisation representing Europe’s autochthonous national minorities, ethnic groups and language communities.

She regularly engaged in dialogue with FUEN representatives on cross-border minority issues. Early in her tenure, in May 2022, she met with FUEN President Loránt Vincze, MEP, and Secretary General Éva Pénzes. Their meeting focused on the situation of national minorities in Europe, the implementation of the Minority SafePack Initiative (MSPI) and the expansion of youth work.

In September 2022, she also delivered a welcome address at the 66th FUEN Congress in Berlin, in which she described FUEN as the “voice of minorities in Europe” and affirmed her support for the MSPI.

Natalie Pawlik also remained in regular contact with the AGDM within FUEN. She attended the AGDM’s annual meetings, engaged in direct dialogue with representatives of the German minorities, and assumed patronage of the AGDM Parliamentary Breakfast in the German Bundestag in 2024.

In a personal letter to her partner organisations at the end of her mandate, she wrote: “My role as Commissioner for Resettlers and National Minorities has meant far more to me than just a political office – it has always been and will remain a heartfelt mission. In numerous conversations, events, committee meetings and visits on the ground, I witnessed the great dedication, expertise, and conviction with which the actors involved contribute to this field.”

She continued: “Your commitment has made a valuable contribution to raising the visibility and strengthening the concerns of expellees, (late) resettlers, members of the German minorities, and the national minorities in Germany.”

FUEN sincerely thanks Natalie Pawlik for the trusting, committed, and always constructive cooperation. Her dedication to the concerns of minorities – especially in geopolitically and financially challenging times – has been of great significance for the work of FUEN and its member organisations.

We wish Natalie Pawlik all the best and much success in her new role as Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration as well as Commissioner for Anti-Racism – and we look forward to continuing our cooperation in this new capacity.

The designated successor to the position of Federal Commissioner for Matters Related to Resettlers and National Minorities is Dr. Bernd Fabritius, who previously held this office from 2018 to 2022.

Photo 1: Natalie Pawlik during the FUEN Congress 2022

Photo 2: Natalie Pawlik with the representatives of the German minorities during the 2024 AGDM Annual Meeting