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German politician From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helge Reinhold Braun (born 18 October 1972) is a German physician and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Between 2018 and 2021, he served as Head of the Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the fourth coalition government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. He was the Parliamentary Secretary of State for Bureaucracy Reduction and Federal-State Relations at the Chancellery between 2013 and 2018.
Helge Braun | |
|---|---|
 Braun in 2017 | |
| Chair of the Budget Committee | |
| Assumed office 15 December 2021 | |
| Deputy | Bettina Hagedorn |
| Preceded by | Peter Boehringer |
| Head of the Chancellery Minister for Special Affairs | |
| In office 14 March 2018 – 8 December 2021 | |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Peter Altmaier |
| Succeeded by | Wolfgang Schmidt |
| State Minister to the Chancellor for Bureaucracy reduction, better regulation and Federal-State Relations | |
| In office 17 December 2013 – 14 March 2018 | |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Preceded by | Eckart von Klaeden (Bureaucracy reduction and better regulation) |
| Succeeded by | Hendrik Hoppenstedt |
| Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Research | |
| In office 28 October 2009 – 17 December 2013 | |
| Chancellor | Angela Merkel |
| Minister | Annette Schavan Johanna Wanka |
| Preceded by | Andreas Storm |
| Succeeded by | Stefan Müller |
| Member of the Bundestag for Hesse | |
| Assumed office 26 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | multi-member district |
| Constituency | Christian Democratic Union List |
| In office 27 October 2009 – 26 October 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Rüdiger Veit |
| Succeeded by | Felix Döring |
| Constituency | Gießen |
| In office 17 October 2002 – 18 October 2005 | |
| Preceded by | multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | multi-member district |
| Constituency | Christian Democratic Union List |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 October 1972 Giessen, Hesse, West Germany |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Union |
| Alma mater | University of Giessen |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | helge-braun |
Braun, who was thought of as a party insider, loyal to moderate Merkel, ran in the December 2021 CDU leadership election, but only came in a distant third.
After passing the Abitur in 1992 at the Liebigschule in Giessen, Braun studied medicine at the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen. From 2001 until 2009, he was a scientific assistant at the Clinic for Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Analgesic Therapy of the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg. He speaks German and some English.[1]
From 1989 until 2007 Braun was a member of the Young Union (JU). He was the district leader of the JU Giessen from 1992 till 1997 and from 1998 until 2001 he was the regional leader of the JU Mittelhessen.
He has been a member of the Christian Democratic Union since 1990.
Braun first served as a member of the Bundestag from October 2002 to September 2005. From 2003 until 2005 he was the deputy leader of the Hessian Members of the Bundestag. He also served on the Committee on Education and Research, the Committee on Environment, Nuclear Safety and Nature Conservation and on the Parliamentary Advisory Board for Sustainable Development.
Braun lost his seat in the 2005 federal elections. He was able to re-enter the Bundestag in 2009, winning the constituency of his home town of Gießen[2] with a majority of 59,441 votes or 36.7%. After the election, he was again elected as deputy leader of the Hessian MPs. In the subsequent federal elections of 2013 and 2017 he was able to defend his seat.
In Merkel's second coalition government, Braun was Parliamentary Secretary of State for Education and Research,[3] serving alongside Thomas Rachel under successive ministers Annette Schavan (2009–2013) and Johanna Wanka (2013). During his time in office, he notably stepped up Germany's activities on research into neglected tropical diseases.[4]
In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU together with the Bavarian CSU) and the Social Democrats following the 2013 federal elections, Braun was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on education and research policy, led by Johanna Wanka and Doris Ahnen. Merkel subsequently appointed him as Parliamentary Secretary of State for Bureaucracy Reduction and Federal-State Relations,[5] serving directly under her in the Federal Chancellery. In that capacity, he was one of the officials co-ordinating Germany's response to the European migrant crisis in 2015.[6]
After the 2017 elections and the successful coalition talks between the CDU/CSU and SPD in February 2018, Braun became the designated Head of the Chancellery and Federal Minister of Special Affairs in the fourth Merkel government.[7] On 14 March 2018, he succeeded Peter Altmaier.
For the 2021 elections, Braun was elected to lead the CDU campaign in Hesse.[8] He lost his constituency to the Social Democratic Party but was re-elected on the state list.
On November 12, 2021, Braun announced his candidacy for the Christian Democratic Union leadership,[9][10] joining opponents Norbert Röttgen and Friedrich Merz in the race to succeed Armin Laschet;[11] the position ultimately went to Merz.[12]
Since late 2021, Braun has been chairing the Budget Committee.[13] In this capacity, he also serves as his parliamentary group’s rapporteur on the annual budget of the Federal Ministry of Health. In 2022, he also joined the Subcommittee on Global Health.
In November 2024, Braun announced that he would not stand in the 2025 federal elections but instead resign from active politics by the end of the parliamentary term.[14]
In November 2024, Braun was appointed as president of the University of Lübeck.[15]
Braun is a Roman Catholic and is married.[citation needed]
In April 2023, Braun was one of the 22 guests at the ceremony in which Angela Merkel was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.[23]
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