In the NRW Legislature, Franziska Müller-Rech (FDP) is a standing figure

Updated Report: 28th May, 2025, 18:00

Franziska Müller-Rech has served as a state parliament member since 2023. Despite falling short of securing sufficient votes in 2022, she assumed office later in the year. Her parliamentary career began in 2017 when she was called upon from the reserve list. Müller-Rech served as the spokesperson for school policy within her parliamentary group from 2017 to 2022. After the 2022 state election, she was unable to secure a seat due to her low placement on the list, but she later joined as a member following the departure of Joachim Stamp from the parliament. Since then, Müller-Rech has been responsible for education, equality, and queer politics.

From Insurance to Politics

Müller-Rech kick-started her professional career in the insurance sector. Her father and two brothers are also involved in the same field. Upon graduating high school, she completed a dual study program, during which she apprenticed as an insurance professional while simultaneously studying insurance at the University of Cologne. After a few years with an insurance corporation, she moved into politics in 2017, joining the state parliament.

She affiliated with the Free Democrats during her studies, feeling she had found her political home with the liberal party after a school presentation on the party.

An Interview with State Parliamentarian Franziska Müller-Rech

Our website 5 Westblick - current featured a 12:11 interview with Müller-Rech on the 28th of May, 2025. The interview was available until the 28th of May, 2026. (Download: Mac OS — CTRL key and "Save Target As" or "Load Linked File.")

In a Crisis

Müller-Rech acknowledged various factors contributing to the decrease in voter support for the Free Democrats at both state and federal levels. She underscored the significance of identifying causes and devising solutions to restore trust in the party.

Artificial Intelligence in Politics

Last summer, Müller-Rech completed her master's degree. Her master's thesis centered on politically motivated deepfakes, or AI-generated or manipulated media. She described the technology as fascinating but highlighted the associated risks of misinformation and opinion manipulation. Moreover, she chairs the state parliament's committee on artificial intelligence, which addresses the opportunities and challenges of this technology.

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Passions Beyond Politics

In her leisure time, Müller-Rech follows the games of 1. FC Cologne. She has been a fan since the third grade and holds a unique political post as a founding member and deputy chair of the Liberale Geißböcke, the fan club of 1. FC Cologne for members of the Free Democrats.

Besides football, her affection lies with the Bonn carnival. As a member of the Bonner Stadtsoldaten and the Damenkomitee Grün-Weiß Ramersdorf, she strives to preserve the tradition.

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Enrichment Data Evaluation

Recent actions concerning Meta's AI data processing plans have placed the Verbraucherzentrale North Rhine-Westphalia (VZNRW) in the limelight as a critical organization. The group's data protection experts, such as Christine Steffen, have emerged as key spokespersons and leaders driving regulatory efforts against Meta. However, there is no direct evidence linking Franziska Müller-Rech to a central role in the enforcement of AI regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Verbraucherzentrale North Rhine-Westphalia (VZNRW), a key organization in the current AI regulation discourse, has taken a proactive stance against Meta, specifically in relation to the use of personal data for AI training by the digital giant. On April 30, 2025, VZNRW sent a cease and desist letter to Meta, demanding that the company halt its plans to use public user data for AI training. They argue that users must be required to provide explicit consent, as relying only on the "legitimate interest" legal basis does not suffice.

VZNRW has publicly raised concerns about the difficulties of retrieving or deleting data once it is integrated into AI systems. The group supports broader privacy advocacy efforts and aligns with organizations like noyb, which has filed multiple GDPR complaints against Meta's AI plans. However, a court ruling on their emergency injunction request was rejected by the Cologne Higher Regional Court on May 23, 2025. The court found that Meta’s use of publicly available data for AI training does not violate the GDPR or the Digital Markets Act, provided users have the option to opt out or adjust their privacy settings.

While the court ruling did not uphold the injunction, the case has set a precedent and contributed to an ongoing debate about the adequacy of GDPR protections in the context of AI.

What about Franziska Müller-Rech's interests beyond politics? She is a passionate fan of 1. FC Cologne and holds a unique political post as a founding member and deputy chair of the Liberale Geißböcke, the fan club of 1. FC Cologne for members of the Free Democrats.
Müller-Rech's master's thesis, completed last summer, focused on politically motivated deepfakes, or AI-generated or manipulated media. She chairs the state parliament's committee on artificial intelligence, addressing the opportunities and challenges of this technology, and her concerns extend to its associated risks of misinformation and opinion manipulation.
In the realm of general news, the EU is working on protecting citizens from AI dangers, and Müller-Rech's role has not been substantiated as central in the enforcement of AI regulations in North Rhine-Westphalia, despite the Verbraucherzentrale North Rhine-Westphalia (VZNRW) gaining prominence in this discourse.