Nina Ingrid Warken ( Bender;Christian Geinitz (29 April 2025), Nina Warken: Frische Kraft für ein undankbares Amt Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. born 15 May 1979) is a German lawyer and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who has served as Head of the German Chancellery (Chief of Staff) and Federal Minister for Special Affairs since July 2026. Previously, she served as Federal Minister of Health in the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz from May 2025 to July 2026. She has been a member of the Bundestag representing the state of Baden-Württemberg from 2013 to 2017 and again since 2018.
Political career Early beginnings Warken joined the CDU in 2002. From 2006 to 2014, she served as deputy chair of the Young Union (JU), the CDU's youth organization, under the leadership of its chairman Philipp Mißfelder.Gregor Mayntz (7 October 2012), Deutschlandtag der Jungen Union in Rostock: Neuanfang mit alternder Spitze Rheinische Post.
Member of the German Parliament, 2013–present Warken first became member of the Bundestag after the 2013 German federal election. She lost her seat in the 2017 German federal election, but was the first in line if a Member for Baden-Württemberg resigned. This happened on 23 November 2018, when Stephan Harbarth was elected President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. She took her seat on 5 December 2018.
In parliament, Warken has served on the Committee on Internal Affairs (2013–2017; 2020–2025),Norbert Wallet (September 24, 2020), Armin Schusters Abgang: Südwest-CDU will innenpolitischen Einfluss wahren Stuttgarter Nachrichten. the Committee on European Affairs (2018), the Committee on Legal Affairs and Consumer Protection (2018–2025), and the parliamentary monitoring group for the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany (2021–2022).Andreas Rinke and Sarah K Marsh (28 April 2025), Germany's new cabinet: who's who? Reuters. On the Committee on Internal Affairs, she was her parliamentary group's rapporteur on volunteering, civil protection and disaster response.
In the negotiations to form a coalition government under the leadership of Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg Winfried Kretschmann following the 2021 state elections, Warken co-chaired the working group on integration, alongside Manfred Lucha.Koalitionsverhandlungen: Arbeitsgruppen Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Baden-Württemberg, press release of April 13, 2021.Koalitionsverhandlungen: Arbeitsgruppen CDU Baden-Württemberg, press release of April 13, 2021.
From 2022 to 2025, Warken also served on the German Parliament's body in charge of appointing judges to the Highest Courts of Justice, namely the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG), the Federal Fiscal Court (BFH), the Federal Labour Court (BAG), and the Federal Social Court (BSG).Mitglieder mehrerer Gremien gewählt Bundestag, 27 January 2022.
From 2022 to 2023, Warken co-chaired – alongside Johannes Fechner – the Commission for the Reform of the Electoral Law and the Modernization of Parliamentary Work.Fechner und Warken leiten Kommission zur Reform des Wahlrechts Bundestag, press release of 7 April 2022.
From 2023 to 2025, Warken served as Secretary General of the CDU in Baden-Württemberg, under the leadership of chairman Manuel Hagel.Alice Robra (19 November 2023), Nina Warken aus Tauberbischofsheim neue CDU-Generalsekretärin Südwestrundfunk.Iris Volk (14 September 2025), Nachfolger von Nina Warken: Tobias Vogt ist neuer Generalsekretär der CDU in Baden-Württemberg Südwestrundfunk.
In the negotiations to form a Grand Coalition of Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU together with the Bavarian CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) following the 2025 German elections, Warken was part of the CDU/CSU delegation in the working group on domestic policy, legal affairs, migration and integration, led by Günter Krings, Andrea Lindholz and Dirk Wiese.Koalitionsverhandlungen: BW-Politiker leiten fünf Arbeitsgruppen - Hagel übernimmt Digitales Tagesschau, 12 March 2025.Steven Geyer (20 March 2025), Nur ein Drittel Frauen, kaum junge Menschen: Wer Deutschlands Zukunft verhandelt RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland.
Also since 2025, Warken has been leading the Christian Democrats' Women's Union; in this capacity, she is part of the CDU's national board.Roland Muschel (24 May 2025), Merz-Vertraute an der Spitze der Frauen-Union Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Other activities Munich Security Conference Foundation, Member of the Foundation Council (since 2026)Appointment of Nina Warken as Member of the Munich Security Conference Foundation Council Munich Security Conference, press release of 3 September 2026. Rotary International, MemberRotary-Club spendet für das SBBZ Fränkische Nachrichten, 28 July 2022. Technisches Hilfswerk (THW), President of the Baden-Württemberg Chapter (2015–2023)
Political positions In June 2017, Warken voted against Germany's introduction of same-sex marriage.Diese Unionsabgeordneten stimmten für die Ehe für alle Die Welt, June 30, 2017.
Warken supports a criminal ban on buying sex but not selling sex.
Personal life Warken is married to lawyer Sebastian Warken. The couple has three sons. In her free time, Warken plays tennis.Thomas Schäfer and Joseph Hausner (28 April 2025), Nina Warken gehört zum Merz-Kabinett: Deutschlands neue Gesundheitsministerin hat Familie im Saarland Saarbrücker Zeitung.
References
External links
Bundestag biography