Karl Ernst Thomas de Maizière (; born 21 January 1954) is a German politician (CDU) who has served as the Federal Minister of the Interior since 17 December 2013 as part of the third cabinet of Chancellor Angela Merkel. A close confidant of Merkel, he served as chief of staff at the Chancellor's Office and Federal Minister for Special Affairs in the First Merkel cabinet, from 2005 to 2009. He was Minister of the Interior from 2009 to 2011 and Minister of Defence from 2011 to 2013.