Heiko Maas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Heiko Maas
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Maas in 2019
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| Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 March 2018 – 8 December 2021 |
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| Chancellor | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sigmar Gabriel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Annalena Baerbock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 18 November 2020 – 21 May 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Nikos Dendias | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Péter Szijjártó | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 17 December 2013 – 14 March 2018 |
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| Chancellor | Angela Merkel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Sabine Leutheusser- Schnarrenberger (Justice) Ilse Aigner (Consumer Protection) |
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| Succeeded by | Katarina Barley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the Bundestag for Saarland |
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| In office 26 October 2021 – 16 December 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Altmaier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Emily Vontz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Constituency | Saarlouis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 24 September 2017 – 26 October 2021 |
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| Constituency | SPD state-wide list | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Landtag of Saarland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 16 October 1994 – 17 December 2013 |
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Heiko Josef Maas
19 September 1966 Saarlouis, West Germany (present-day Germany) |
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| Political party | Social Democratic Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic partner | Natalia Wörner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Saarland University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Heiko Josef Maas (born 19 September 1966) is a German lawyer and former politician. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Maas served as Germany's Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2021. Before that, he was the Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection from 2013 to 2018. Both roles were part of Chancellor Angela Merkel's government. Since 2022, he has been working as a lawyer.
Maas was born in Saarlouis and studied law. Before working for the national government, he was active in politics in his home state of Saarland. There, he held several important positions. These included Minister of the Environment, Energy and Transport (1998–1999). He was also Minister of Economy, Labor, Energy and Transport (2012–2013). He even served as Deputy Minister-President of Saarland (2012–2013).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Heiko Maas was born on 19 September 1966 in Saarlouis. This city is close to the French border. He grew up in a Catholic family. After finishing high school in 1987, he completed his required military service. For a year, he worked at a car factory in Saarlouis.
In 1989, Maas began studying law at Saarland University. He finished his law studies in 1993. By 1996, he was officially allowed to practice law.
Political Career
Starting in State Politics
Heiko Maas first became a member of the Saarland Parliament in 1994. He was mentored by Oskar Lafontaine. From 1998 to 1999, he served as the Minister of the Environment, Energy, and Transport in Saarland.
In the 2009 state election, Maas led the SPD party. His party received 24.5 percent of the votes. This was the lowest result for the party in that state at the time.
After the 2012 state election, the SPD formed a government with the CDU. Maas became the Deputy Minister-President. He was also in charge of the economy, transport, and employment for Saarland.
Moving to National Politics
After the 2013 national elections, Heiko Maas became part of the SPD team. They worked with the CDU/CSU parties to form a new government. On 17 December 2013, he was sworn in as the Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection. He took over this role in Chancellor Angela Merkel's third government. He left his state-level positions to take on this new national role.
As Justice Minister, Maas worked on many new laws. Some people called him the 'Prohibition Minister' because he proposed many new rules.
Life After Politics
In December 2022, Heiko Maas decided to leave national politics. He resigned from the Bundestag (Germany's parliament). He then joined a law firm in Berlin as a partner. In January 2023, he was also chosen to be the president of a group representing employers in the steel industry in Saarland.
Other Activities
Heiko Maas has also been involved with various organizations. He served on the advisory board for the Federal Network Agency. This agency oversees electricity, gas, and telecommunications. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees for the RAG-Stiftung. This foundation manages the legacy of German coal mining.
Since 2023, he has been the President of the German Poland Institute. This organization promotes understanding between Germany and Poland.
Political Views
Foreign Policy
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When Heiko Maas became Foreign Minister in 2018, he took a strong stance towards Russia. He warned about Russian "aggression." Germany, along with its allies, sent home four Russian diplomats. This was due to Russia's suspected involvement in the poisoning of a former Russian agent in the UK.
Maas supported Germany's involvement in United Nations peacekeeping missions. These missions help keep peace in different parts of the world. He supported missions in places like Darfur/Sudan and Mali.
In October 2018, Maas questioned the sale of German weapons to Saudi Arabia. This happened after the murder of a Saudi journalist. In November 2018, he spoke about human rights issues in China. He raised concerns about the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority.
Regarding the Yemeni Civil War, Maas spoke about the terrible humanitarian situation. He supported calls for a ceasefire and peace talks. In May 2019, he stated that Germany wanted to keep the Iran Nuclear Deal. This was to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
In September 2019, China's Foreign Ministry criticized Maas. This was because he met with Hong Kong student activist Joshua Wong. China said this was disrespectful. Maas also spoke out against Turkey's military action in Syria in 2019. He warned it could make the region unstable and help ISIS grow.
In June 2020, Maas warned that Israel's plan to take over parts of the West Bank would break international law. He also urged China and India to reduce tensions after a border clash. In August 2020, he warned about the dangerous situation between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean Sea. He said even a small spark could lead to a disaster.
Maas also expressed concern about the fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh. He asked Armenia and Azerbaijan to stop fighting and find a peaceful solution. In October 2020, he stated that Germany was watching the behavior of Thai King Vajiralongkorn. The King spends time in Germany, and Maas said that Thai politics should not be conducted from German soil.
Digital Policy
Heiko Maas was very interested in digital policy. In 2014, he said it was "not acceptable" that Google had so much control over search results. He also criticized Facebook in 2015. He felt they were not doing enough to stop hate speech and racist posts on their platform.
Combating Online Hate Speech
In 2017, Maas proposed a law called "Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz." This law aimed to fight online hate speech and fake news. The law requires social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to remove illegal content quickly. If they don't, they could face large fines. Some people worried this law might lead to too much censorship.
Gender Policy
Heiko Maas also worked on gender policy. He proposed a ban on sexist advertisements. He believed that ads should not show women or men in a way that is unfair or demeaning.
Recognition
Awards
- 2014 – Israel Jacobson Prize, given by the Union of Progressive Jews in Germany (UPJ).
- 2019 – Prize for Understanding and Tolerance, given by the Jewish Museum Berlin.
Personal Life
Heiko Maas was married to Corinna until 2018, and they have two sons. In 2016, he began a relationship with actress Natalia Wörner. They announced their separation in August 2023. Since late 2023, he has been in a relationship with his former wife, Corinna, again.
Maas enjoys playing football and is also a triathlete. He is a fan of the football club Hamburger SV.
See also
In Spanish: Heiko Maas para niños
