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.

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.

Early life and education

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.Christoph Hasselbach (13 March 2018), [http://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkels-new-chief-of-staff-helge-braun-the-all-rounder/a-42953099 Angela Merkel's new chief of staff: Helge Braun – the all-rounder] Deutsche Welle.

Political career

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.

= Member of Parliament =

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{{Cite news|url=https://www.bundestag.de/abgeordnete/biografien/B/braun_helge/518636|title=Deutscher Bundestag - Prof. Dr. Helge Braun|work=Deutscher Bundestag|access-date=11 March 2018|language=de}} 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,{{Cite web|url=https://www.helge-braun.de/|title=Prof. Dr. Helge Braun MdB, Staatsminister bei der Bundeskanzlerin|website=helge-braun.de|language=de|access-date=11 March 2018}} 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.Lina Hoffman (29 December 2011), [http://www.dw.com/en/germany-intensifies-fight-against-neglected-diseases/a-15632235 Germany intensifies fight against neglected diseases] Deutsche Welle.

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,{{Cite web|url=https://www.bundesregierung.de/Content/DE/StatischeSeiten/Breg/element-die-staatsminister.html?nn=391346#doc132446bodyText1|title=Bundesregierung {{!}} Bundeskanzleramt {{!}} Staatsminister und Staatssekretär|website=bundesregierung.de|language=de|access-date=11 March 2018}} 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.Tobias Buck (25 February 2018), [https://www.ft.com/content/58f754c0-1a0a-11e8-aaca-4574d7dabfb6 Angela Merkel offers critic Jens Spahn cabinet post] Financial Times.

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/groko-einigung-koalitionsvertrag-steht-wer-in-der-groko-welches-amt-bekommen-koennte_id_8429703.html|title=Barley und Heil komplettieren Minister-Riege: So soll das neue Kabinett aussehen|work=FOCUS Online|access-date=11 March 2018|language=de}} On 14 March 2018, he succeeded Peter Altmaier.

For the 2021 elections, Braun was elected to lead the CDU campaign in Hesse.Robert Maus (June 12, 2021), [https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/region-und-hessen/bundestagswahl-helge-braun-soll-cdu-zum-sieg-fuehren-17386456.html Parteitag in Gießen: Helge Braun soll Hessen-CDU zum Sieg führen] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 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,{{cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/race-to-lead-angela-merkel-s-party-in-german-opposition-takes-shape-121111201137_1.html|title=Race to lead Angela Merkel's party in German opposition takes shape|website=Business Standard|date=November 12, 2021|access-date=November 20, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/angela-merkel-berlin-europe-elections-national-elections-80324dba4eca2df93fbb41348984383d|title=Race to lead Angela Merkel's party in German opposition takes shape|website=AP News|date=November 12, 2021|author=Geir Moulson|access-date=November 20, 2021}} joining opponents Norbert Röttgen and Friedrich Merz in the race to succeed Armin Laschet;{{cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/germany-s-cdu-ready-to-elect-new-leader-to-succeed-armin-laschet-121111900414_1.html|title=Germany's CDU ready to elect new leader to succeed Armin Laschet|website=Business Standard|date=November 19, 2021|access-date=November 20, 2021}} the position ultimately went to Merz.[https://www.hessenschau.de/politik/giessener-braun-sagt-neuem-cdu-chef-merz-unterstuetzung-zu---glueckwuensche-und-spott-aus-hessen,helge-braun-cdu-106.html Glückwünsche und Spott nach Mitgliederentscheid: Braun verpasst CDU-Vorsitz deutlich - und sagt Merz Unterstützung zu] Hessenschau, 17 December 2021.

Since late 2021, Braun has been chairing the Budget Committee.[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/spahn-ist-jetzt-stellvertreter-des-fraktionsvorsitzenden-17683184.html Neuaufstellung der Union: Spahn ist jetzt Stellvertreter des Fraktionsvorsitzenden] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 13 December 2021. 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.Mayya Chernobylskaya (4 November 2024), [https://www.fr.de/hessen/helge-braun-giessen-cdu-hessen-politik-ruecktritt-angela-merkel-kanzleramt-zr-93392233.html Gießener CDU-Urgestein: Helge Braun kündigt Abschied aus der Politik an] Frankfurter Rundschau.

In January 2025, Braun was one of 12 CDU lawmakers who opted not to back a draft law on tightening immigration policy sponsored by their own leader Friedrich Merz, who had pushed for the law despite warnings from party colleagues that he risked being tarnished with the charge of voting alongside the far-right Alternative for Germany.Thomas Escritt and Christian Kraemer (31 January 2025), [https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/far-right-could-enable-law-first-time-modern-german-history-2025-01-31/ German parliament rejects migration bill, dealing blow to election frontrunner] Reuters.Helen Bielawa, Marcel Pauly and Rina Wilkin (1 February 2025), [https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/abstimmung-ueber-migrationsgesetz-der-union-so-haben-die-einzelnen-abgeordneten-gestimmt-a-295166bf-bdfe-4fd0-b538-2492d3cfbce8 Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz: So haben die einzelnen Abgeordneten abgestimmt] Der Spiegel.

Life after politics

In November 2024, Braun was appointed as president of the University of Lübeck.[https://www.uni-luebeck.de/aktuelles/nachricht/artikel/prof-dr-helge-braun-als-kuenftiger-praesident-gewaehlt.html Prof. Dr. Helge Braun als künftiger Präsident gewählt] University of Lübeck, press release of 6 November 2024. As of January 1st 2025, he also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the private Hertie School in Berlin.

Other activities

=Government agencies=

German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2022)[https://www.irz.de/index.php/presse/pressemitteilungen/3538-tatkr%C3%A4ftige-unterst%C3%BCtzung-der-rechtsstaatsf%C3%B6rderung-%E2%80%93-irz-begr%C3%BC%C3%9Ft-neue-kuratoriumsmitglieder Tatkräftige Unterstützung der Rechtsstaatsförderung – IRZ begrüßt neue Kuratoriumsmitglieder] German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), press release of 8 July 2022.

=Non-profit organizations=

Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Member of the Board (since 2022)[https://unitingtocombatntds.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Uniting-Q3-Board-Notes-Web-Summary-29-September-2022.pdf Board Q3 2022 Meeting Minutes, 29 September 2022] Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs), Member of the Parliamentary Advisory Board (since 2022)[https://dntds.de/parlamentarischer-beirat.html Neues Mitglied im Parlamentarischen Beirat, 1 February 2022] German Network against Neglected Tropical Diseases (DNTDs).
Loewe Center for Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases (DRUID), Member of the Advisory Board[http://www.uni-giessen.de/fbz/fb09/institute/ernaehrungswissenschaft/prof/becker/druid/funktionen/wiss_beirat Advisory Board] University of Giessen, Loewe Center for Novel Drug Targets against Poverty-Related and Neglected Tropical Infectious Diseases (DRUID).
Friends of the University of Giessen, Member of the Governing Board[http://www.giessener-hochschulgesellschaft.de/Organe.html Organization] Friends of the University of Giessen.
Sepsis-Stiftung, Member of the Board of Trustees[http://www.sepsis-stiftung.eu/ueber-uns/ About Us] Sepsis-Stiftung.
German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Vice Chairman of the council (2018–2021)
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Member of the Board of Trustees (2009–2013)Anja Kühne (18 September 2013), [https://www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/finanzluecke-beim-max-delbrueck-centrum-berlin-mangelhafte-organisation-kostete-mdc-fast-13-millionen-euro/8811180.html Finanzlücke beim Max-Delbrück-Centrum Berlin: „Mangelhafte Organisation" kostete MDC fast 13 Millionen Euro] Der Tagesspiegel.
German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF), Ex-Officio Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees (2009–2013)
Stiftung Lesen, Member of the Board of Trustees (2009–2013)

Recognition

2015: Global Sepsis Award

Personal life

Braun is a Roman Catholic and is married.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

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.Kati Degenhardt (17 April 2023), [https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/innenpolitik/id_100160680/angela-merkel-dankt-ihrem-mann-er-hatte-vieles-auszuhalten-.html Merkels emotionaler Dank: "Er hatte Vieles auszuhalten"] T-Online.