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Policy guidelines; publication of government statements

The government statements by the Bavarian Minister President and other members of the cabinet are published on the state portal.

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Procedure details

The Bavarian Minister President and the ministers explain their political plans, intentions or actions in a government statement to the Bavarian State Parliament. As a rule, they refer to a specific occasion or - when taking office - to the entire legislative period.

On the state portal you will find the government statements of the Bavarian Minister President and other members of the cabinet since March 2018.

Excerpts from the government statement by Bavarian Minister President Dr. Markus Söder, MdL, to the Bavarian State Parliament on 5 December 2023 at the start of the new legislative period (full version available at www.bayern.de):

So that Bavaria remains strong and stable
Government program for the future

I. Introduction

Germany is in crisis. Years of unrest and change lie behind us: corona, war in Ukraine, terror against Israel and now a home-made national crisis caused by an unconstitutional federal budget.

I can only say one thing: Fortunately we live in Bavaria, fortunately we are doing better. And we want to keep it that way.

Bavaria is at the top almost everywhere in Germany: in the labor market, in the economy, in security, in schools and education, in health and also in quality of life and life satisfaction. It is our fundamental task to ensure that it stays that way.

(...)

Our philosophy is different from that of the traffic lights in Berlin. The comparison is important, also to show where there are differences in politics and that things can be done differently. It's not all "the establishment"; politics can be different if it wants to be.

What do we stand for?

Our motto is "live and let live". We are down-to-earth and lead the country with common sense. We reject the idea of governing with bans and ideology for Bavaria.

We take care of the big challenges, but we are not too shy to keep an eye on the small problems. The concerns of the people are also ours. We stand for a social Bavaria that puts people at the center. Especially those on average incomes, the so-called "little people", the elderly and families can rely on our care and empathy.

Social security is a central concern for us. We are not aloof, we are close to the reality of people's lives. The most important task of politics is not to lecture people, but to address their concerns and take care of them.

We stand for a protective state with the greatest possible freedom for the individual and the greatest possible security for the general public. Freedom only exists with security, with a strong police force and judiciary.

We want a strong, but also a modern and lean state in which people's personal responsibility takes center stage. That is why we are reducing bureaucracy and accelerating digitalization.

We want to bring the country together, reconcile rather than divide, bring together rather than drive apart. For us, technology and tradition, town and country are not opposites, but belong inseparably together.

Even if some people do things differently, our claim is that we don't just do politics for those who elected us, but for everyone. That is important to me: we are a state government for all Bavarians.

We have drawn up our government program for Bavaria in the coalition agreement with these principles and guiding principles in mind.

II. Business location

1. economic policy

The most important task of all governments in Germany and also in Bavaria is to maintain a strong business location and thus prosperity for all. The old principle, now reviled by some, still applies: the economy is not everything, but without the economy everything is nothing.

Bavaria is currently the economic powerhouse of Germany: Bavaria has the lowest unemployment rate, the lowest youth unemployment, the most industrial jobs, the most DAX companies and the most master craftsmen.

The Bavarian state government not only cares about the global players in the automotive, mechanical engineering and chemical industries, but also about the many small and medium-sized businesses in agriculture, trade, commerce, trade and tourism. It's not just the big players that count. It is the many innovative small and medium-sized companies in Bavaria that make this location so strong and important.

Therefore, the state government is there for every company, not just for the corporations.

(...)

2. energy supply

The most important issue currently affecting the economy is a sustainable and, above all, affordable energy supply. Bavaria is meeting its climate targets, especially its own goal of climate neutrality by 2040 - but not at the expense of its citizens and not at the expense of the economy.

We need a sensible and pragmatic energy policy instead of ideological bubbles that have already burst.

Bavaria has the most ambitious climate program of all the federal states with over one billion euros per year. We are planting trees, protecting water and renaturalizing moors. The focus of Bavaria's efforts is, of course, on renewable energies.

Their expansion has absolute priority in Bavaria. Bavaria is the pioneer and leader with the highest installed renewable energy capacity of all federal states - more than twice as much as Baden-Württemberg. Since 2020, Bavaria has been able to increase its renewable energy output by more than 50 percent. The aim is to double renewable energy output in Bavaria again by 2030 and even triple electricity generation from photovoltaics. For comparison: Bavaria already produces more solar power than North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg combined.

Bavaria is also catching up in wind power. The aim is to build 1,000 new wind turbines by 2030 and the Bavarian state government is opening up the state forest to exploit the potential there. The largest wind farms in southern Germany are already being built in the Bavarian chemical triangle and in the Franconian Forest glass region, each with 40 new wind turbines.

(...)

Biomass and geothermal energy - Bavaria is already the market leader in Germany for both - are to be further strengthened. For geothermal energy in particular, we will make it easier to obtain permits, strengthen research and provide even greater protection against exploration risks.

We also want to significantly expand hydropower. A large hydropower plant is to be built on the Salzach in cooperation with Austria. Talks with Austria are already going very well.

Bavaria is to become a leading hydrogen hub in Europe. In addition to the promotion of 50 electrolysers, such as in Wunsiedel, and countless hydrogen filling stations, the long-term goal is a hydrogen pipeline from the Adriatic to Bavaria. Not only from north to south, but also from south to north. To this end, Bavaria is forging energy alliances with Italy, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. We are also looking into participating in gas pipeline operators in order to advance the hydrogen infrastructure in Bavaria at an early stage. No other federal state can and does this.

Everything that Bavaria is doing is far ahead in a national comparison. But neither in Bavaria nor anywhere else in Germany will this be enough to guarantee lower energy prices, a stable energy supply and climate neutrality at the same time.

We have to face reality: Germany's problems will not be solved with ideological self-deception. Almost all industrialized nations are doing things differently than Germany. This has just become clear again at the World Climate Conference in Dubai. Germany has almost become an outsider in the climate club.

It is absurd that Germany buys expensive nuclear power from abroad but shuts down its own power plants. It is absurd that Germany allows expensive fracked gas from the USA to be transported across the Atlantic, but leaves its own German gas reserves untouched. Pragmatic common sense is needed here in times of crisis.

(...)

In any case, we want to develop Bavaria into a pioneer for nuclear fusion and build the first demonstration power plant in Germany here. This would once again give Bavaria an absolutely unique selling point.

3. science and research

A slogan of one of Bavaria's major automotive companies is: "Vorsprung durch Technik". This is actually also the motto of the state government. The major problems of the future can only be solved with innovation and technology. We have to be better at what others are cheaper at.

We are less in competition with other federal states. In reality, Bavaria is in competition with our friends from the USA and many partners from Asia. We cannot pay subsidies like elsewhere. Bavaria's economic development is technology and research.

Our success proves us right, as the examples of Google, Microsoft, Apple, MAN, ZF Friedrichshafen, BMW and Siemens show. These major global companies invest in Bavaria - without subsidies, but thanks to the modern location conditions for innovation and research.

We are the Silicon Valley of Europe and want to develop Bavaria into the leading high-tech location on the European continent.

Since the 2000s, four Nobel Prizes have already gone to researchers in Bavaria. This is unique proof of our performance. Congratulations to the new Nobel Prize winner Prof. Ferenc Krausz! It is a great honor and pleasure for us that he is conducting his research in Bavaria.

The High-Tech Agenda is the centerpiece. No other state in Germany invests more in the future, research and development than Bavaria. 1,000 professorships, 13,000 new university places and 20 top research centers - only Bavaria has this. This offensive is to be topped once again in this legislative period with an additional 2 billion euros. A total of 5.5 billion euros will then be available for science and research until 2028.

One of the focal points is artificial intelligence. Despite the many challenges, it will fundamentally revolutionize the world in the next ten to 15 years. AI is like a big bang for a new universe of knowledge. We don't just want to watch, we want to be at the forefront.

Bavaria has by far the highest level of investment in AI and supertech in Germany. We have the most AI professorships. What's more, there are nine supercomputers in Bavaria, almost as many as in South Korea and more than in Taiwan.

We will also establish Germany's first AI university in Bavaria, in Nuremberg. The TU Nuremberg, which is currently under construction, is to become the first university to specialize purely in AI as the Franconian University of Artificial Intelligence.

We are also developing a new supercomputer at the Leibniz Supercomputing Center that is specifically geared towards quantum computing. Just to give you an idea: A quantum computer can handle computing operations in just a few days, for which even supercomputers of the current generation take up to 150,000 years. This will fundamentally change and revolutionize biomedicine and pharmacy.

It is not yet possible to predict exactly where these developments will lead. We are standing in front of a new door with light shining through it. We want to open it, but we can't yet gauge the possibilities that lie beyond. The question is: do we have a key or are we rattling at this door in vain?

In Bavaria, the answer is: we have the key to the future. This is not science fiction, this is the sound of the future à la Bavaria.

However, high-tech is not a privilege of large cities or university towns. We are rolling it out across the entire country. That is why we are expanding the already successful technology transfer centers to cover the whole of Bavaria and doubling their number to 60 over the next five years, i.e. six new ones per year. We are also providing massive support for start-ups. Munich is already the No. 1 start-up capital, ahead of Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg.

The Bavarian space strategy is also important in this context. Ridiculed five years ago - now a success story: Bavaria is the strongest aerospace region in Germany with 550 companies, over 65,000 employees and a turnover of 12 billion euros.

Our aerospace strategy is very closely linked to research. The expansion of the Faculty of Aerospace at the Technical University of Munich is a real hit. We are being overrun by students from all over the world, constantly having to create new space capacities and thus supplying start-ups and large companies with highly qualified young talent.

Our goal is to develop Oberpfaffenhofen into the "Houston of Germany". Together with the European Space Agency, it is quite possible to locate the European Moon Control Center in Bavaria.

In addition - and this is also new - we are striving to establish a test center for pioneering rocket propulsion systems in Bavaria. No other location is as innovative in aerospace as we are. May the Force be with us! We can do it.

In order to give the high-tech agenda an additional boost, we will be awarding a future prize from the Minister President from next year. This is a "high-tech Oscar" for the brightest minds and start-ups in our country. Because not only actors, but also those who deliver innovative achievements deserve to be duly recognized.

4. small and medium-sized enterprises and skilled trades

Economic policy is not just about high-tech. We also take care of small and medium-sized businesses and the skilled trades.

Bavaria is the first and only federal state to offer free training for master craftsmen. It will stay that way. We had hoped that other federal states would follow suit. But so far, not a single state has made the same effort as Bavaria. We have thus sent out a clear signal that university and vocational training are of equal value. Master craftsmen and masters are equally important to us.

Bavaria is not only a land of craftsmen, but also the No. 1 tourist destination in Germany and a place of longing for many people. More than 40 million people come to Bavaria every year. Over half a million people work and earn their money in tourism. Bavaria continues to promote tourism with a record sum of over 80 million euros annually. This is more than the federal government spends on promoting tourism in Germany as a whole, and almost as much as the entire country of Austria, whose economy is even more dependent on tourism. Bavaria will not cut back on this.

However, the following applies: any funding that Bavaria provides will be torpedoed if decisions are made in Berlin against the hotel, catering and tourism industries. The massive increase in VAT is a serious mistake. On the one hand, it is anti-social because many families can no longer afford to eat out. Secondly, it is poison for the economy and small and medium-sized businesses. According to DEHOGA estimates, over 12,000 livelihoods - especially in rural areas - are at risk as a result.

Bavaria wants to and will change this again, perhaps in the mediation committee - but at the latest after the next federal election. We also reject a bed tax. Gastronomy and tourism can rely on us.

5. construction

Of course, the construction industry is also part of the economy. It is often an early indicator of economic development. We are currently reading that many construction projects are being halted and many companies are on the verge of going out of business.

Unlike the federal government, however, we are not simply accepting this. We are the only federal state to launch a construction stimulus program with a volume of 500 million euros, primarily for local authorities.

We are also holding on to the dream of home ownership. Young families in particular should be able to fulfill their dream of owning their own home. That is why we are significantly reducing high interest rates with our own program. In future, BayernLabo will be offering loans with interest rates up to 3 percent lower than the market average. In addition, we even offer guarantees to reduce the equity ratio. This is only available in Bavaria and nowhere else in Germany.

I'm not sure whether the traffic lights in Berlin have come to terms with the overall situation, as you keep reading that some politicians are propagating the end of the single-family home anyway. We are not doing that. Everyone should have the right to their own happiness, even within their own four walls.

State housing construction is also finally picking up speed. Admittedly: It has taken longer than hoped, but it is now underway. We will build the 10,000 apartments promised by BayernHeim by 2025. In order to further increase our clout, we will combine all three state housing associations BayernHeim, Stadibau and Siedlungswerk in a joint structure with strategic planning and financing.

Finally, we will also maintain the record state funding of around 1 billion euros of Bavarian money for social housing construction. The reality is that the Free State already used this money to fund over 4,000 new social rental apartments last year. That is more than in Baden-Württemberg and even more than in the even larger state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

We remain committed to social housing. This is part of the responsibility we have for all people in Bavaria.

6 Mobility

One particularly important sector that we are focusing on is the automotive industry. Around 30 percent of Bavaria's economic output comes from the automotive sector. We are and will remain a car state.

We are committed to the IAA in Bavaria and will resist all attempts to lure it away. Sometimes we would like to see a little more commitment and enthusiasm from the state capital.

Incidentally, it is a strong and important sign that BMW will be building a new Gigafactory for batteries in Straßkirchen with the support of the citizens. Another Gigafactory in Bavaria. That's a good sign.

Anyone who builds batteries ensures more electromobility. Bavaria is actually doing well in this respect. With around 20,000 charging points, we are even the nationwide leader in charging infrastructure. We want to expand this infrastructure further and increase it fivefold over the next few years. Our goal is 100,000 charging points by 2030.

However, the federal government urgently needs to decide which path it wants to take with e-mobility. Is our country supporting e-mobility or hindering it? While China is subsidizing its automotive industry on a broad basis and thus creating real competition for our automotive industry in the mid-range segment, we are convinced that Germany is cutting itself off. The traffic light is cutting back on vehicle subsidies, while China is subsidizing heavily. As a result, there is a risk that the domestic e-mobility market will be flooded by Chinese cars.

That is the wrong economic policy. We finally need an economic policy for domestic interests again - a patriotic economic policy for our own country. We finally need to think more about ourselves again.

In addition to promoting electromobility, we also believe in openness to technology and research. We will continue to expand our research into e-fuels at the Straubing campus. Together with Hubert Aiwanger, I handed over 100 million euros for CleanTech and Bio-Economy in Straubing just a few days ago.

(...)

Infrastructure is also part of a business location. In contrast to the federal government, we are investing a total of over 2 billion euros in our roads by 2028. In particular, we want to drive forward the expansion in rural areas. We are therefore spending more than twice as much money on road construction as Baden-Württemberg. To be clear: there will be no ideological halt to road construction in Bavaria.

Of course, we are also a rail state. Despite the responsibility of the federal government, we are making faster progress with rail expansion than elsewhere. We expect to invest EUR 9 billion in rail by 2028. In doing so, we are making a clear commitment to supplying rural areas, but also to expanding the 2nd main line. We hope and expect that the federal government will also keep its promises.

This also includes the financing of the €49 ticket. This has been on shaky ground not only since the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court. We want a €49 and a €29 ticket. However, like all the federal states, we are saying clearly that if the federal government does not make a commitment beyond May next year, then the €49 ticket will have no chance. You can't launch an idea, finance it with a boost - and then leave the federal states and local authorities to foot the bill. That is not a cooperative financial and municipal policy.

In addition to the purchase of 400 climate-neutral buses and the promotion of subway railroads, we also want to give new, modern transport projects a chance. We therefore want to investigate the construction of a magnetic levitation train, similar to Berlin. It is cheaper than the subway, silent and climate-neutral. We have already considered a possible test route in Nuremberg between the university, exhibition center and hospital.

That shows: Even in difficult times, we dare to make a commitment to new technologies. That is Bavaria.

7. agriculture

Last but not least, our agriculture is also part of Bavaria. We are committed to our strong and independent farming sector. We are proud of our medium-sized family farms. Family farms, not agricultural corporations, are the heart of rural areas and the basis of our regional food supply and cultural landscape.

With our pact for the future of agriculture, we have made a commitment that points the way forward in Germany. We have now surrendered important sovereignties in so many areas. Today, everyone wonders why we don't have our own technology for computer chips, just as we do when it comes to pharmaceuticals. We should therefore not make the mistake of driving agriculture out of our own country through bans and regulations. We have a good agricultural sector and we want to maintain it.

We rely on our regional food. Regional is actually the new organic. We prefer to eat local produce instead of flying in food from all over the world to Bavaria, which is harmful to the climate. We also protect agricultural land and property.

Everyone should eat what they want. I say this on behalf of myself and large parts of the state parliament: roast pork, Schäufele, white and bratwurst sausages and Leberkäs are just as much a part of Bavaria as excellent vegetables.

The contract for the future is a genuine intergenerational contract. I sensed this last Sunday during a conversation with young farmers: it gives them hope again. This hope is a bridge to the future.

Bavarian livestock farmers, pond keepers and concerned citizens also need hope: it may not be seen quite the same way in Berlin, in Brussels, perhaps also in Munich, but in the Alpine region, in the Bavarian Forest, in the Rhön and elsewhere, many people are worried about wolves and other predators.

We give them a promise of protection: Wolves and other predators must be limited and reduced to a tolerable level. We are fighting for this in Brussels and Berlin. We also remind the federal ministers to keep their promises, such as those made by Federal Minister Özdemir during the main Alpine pasture inspection.

But our own wolf and otter regulations are also an important signal. Despite lawsuits and judgments, we will revise, expand and extend them.

(...)

Bavaria is also the No. 1 forest state. We stand by forest owners and hunters like no other federal state. Our forests are important as CO2 reservoirs, for air purification, for biodiversity and as water reservoirs.

We are doing everything we can to make the conversion to a climate forest a success. Our forest pact strikes the right balance between protection and use. We do not want to set aside any areas or ban wood heating systems. That is why we are sticking to our guns: we reject the unfortunate Heating Act and will - if possible - abolish it again after 2025.

We will not designate any protected areas on our own initiative, but we generally welcome regional initiatives, such as that for a new biosphere reserve in the Spessart. However, this must be done with and not against the local population. Above all, this includes safeguarding traditional timber rights. Because it is clear that such a project cannot succeed without the local people.

III People

Maintaining the economy is the first major point, the second is social security. Bavaria is a compassionate state with empathy and social responsibility. It is not just the rich and famous who should be able to afford a good life here. People on low and middle incomes, families, the sick and the elderly should also feel that they are treated fairly in our state.

1. families

Bavaria is above all a land of families and children. We are a family coalition.

I myself have four children; like millions of other parents, their future is the most important thing for me.

That is why - and I am very grateful to our coalition partner for this - we are continuing the Bavarian family guarantee, which is unique in Germany and consists of a family allowance, crèche allowance and contribution subsidy for the entire kindergarten period, at the same level. We are not cutting back. Since 2018, we have paid out a total of almost four billion euros in family allowance for around 900,000 children, and every child in Bavaria, from nursery to school enrolment, will continue to benefit from over 12,000 euros in the future. That is a reliable family policy.

What is happening in Berlin? The traffic light government is cutting parental allowance and creating a bureaucratic monster in the form of the basic child protection scheme, which will spend 400 million euros a year on administration alone. In the end, not a cent reaches the children. That is not a good family policy.

To improve the compatibility of family and career, childcare is of course a top priority. We have invested over 15 billion euros in high-quality childcare since 2018 - in times of tight finances - and created 82,000 new daycare and after-school care places. But that's not enough. Why is that? Because Bavaria is an attractive state. We have an influx of families and the population is growing enormously every year.

That's actually great. But of course that presents us with challenges. That's why we have to work with the local authorities to create 180,000 new childcare places by 2028 - 50,000 for children under the age of six and 130,000 for all-day care for primary school children. This will be a real feat due to the staffing requirements alone.

Mastering the German language is important for the development of our children. Language is the key to integration and ultimately also to social peace in our country.

We are therefore continuing the language daycare centers that the traffic lights have cut. That costs an enormous amount of money. We were surprised that a Green minister in Berlin was cutting integration measures. That's really something new and not good style.

To ensure that every child in Bavaria starts school with sufficient knowledge of German, we are introducing compulsory language tests.

All children living in Bavaria are our children and we owe them this commitment.

2. school

School is of central importance for every child. I would like to thank the teachers for their daily commitment as well as the educators in the daycare centers. They help educate our children and do valuable work. A heartfelt thank you for this!

In order to ensure optimal school support, we will create 9,000 new jobs by 2028 - 6,000 teaching positions and 3,000 positions for multi-professional support staff.

In order to address the shortage of teachers and make the teaching profession more attractive, we will continue to improve pay. The Free State of Bavaria is already one of the top states in terms of teacher pay. We will build on this and introduce A 13 for primary and secondary school teachers by 2027. We are improving career opportunities for all teachers.

In school policy, however, we need to think about more than just more jobs for teachers.

The current PISA study is a slap in the face for our country. There is initially no regional comparison; we are certainly better off in the regional comparisons. However, we still need to set the right priorities again, especially in elementary school. This is what we agreed in the cabinet today. We will clearly focus on arithmetic, writing and reading. Some other things will have to take a back seat. Above all, we need to teach these basic skills in order to guarantee the best education in our country.

We are already leading the way in the digitalization of schools. No other federal state uses digital media more frequently. We will continue to develop this and provide all pupils with digital devices from the fifth grade onwards by 2028.

For us, performance remains a central principle. That is why we reject all efforts, all wishes and all tricks aimed at centralizing education policy. We want to maintain our Bavarian Abitur at the same level and not drop to the level of Bremen. That is what this state government stands for.

However, Bavarian schools are not only places where knowledge is imparted. They also play a central role in building democracy and character. That is why we will introduce the weekly constitutional quarter-hour. This is not traditional social studies. We want to use examples to talk about the importance and value of our constitution. This should help to dissuade young people from going down the wrong path in good time. Anyone who writes "Sieg Heil!" in a guest book must have really gone wrong in life.

3. life in old age

Family and family policy include the young, but also the elderly. Anyone who has worked all their life deserves respect for their life's work. In particular, work at home in the family - be it bringing up children or providing care - must also be adequately taken into account in pensions. That is why we are committed to ensuring that three years of child-rearing are recognized, regardless of the child's year of birth. This is the mothers' pension.

We reject proposals such as the abolition of the mothers' pension or the widows' pension. That is heartless and disrespectful.

4. health and care

Of course, social responsibility also includes top-quality healthcare.

This would not be possible without our hospitals. We currently have some of the best hospital care in Germany. Will it stay that way? If we have our way, yes. We are investing heavily in the Bavarian hospital landscape. We want to increase the current investment cost funding to up to one billion euros by 2028, the "hospital billion".

We have already decided to provide special support for small hospitals in rural areas. We want to strengthen them in the transformation process and have made a pot of 100 million euros available for this purpose.

However, the sword of Damocles from Federal Minister Lauterbach hangs over all of this. We firmly reject the federal government's unfair hospital reform plans and the associated cutbacks, especially for small hospitals in rural areas.

Incidentally, we are not alone in this. It was remarkable that the federal states refused to follow the federal government in the last session of the Bundesrat and referred the law to the mediation committee.

Medicine must not be a privilege of the big cities. We do not want two-tier medicine between urban and rural areas. In recent years, we have worked hard to create an equal standard of living. In addition to the relocation of public authorities, fast internet and transport infrastructure, there can be no equal living conditions without proper healthcare.

We will not accept that our efforts to guarantee the same medical quality in Munich, Wunsiedel, the Bavarian Forest or the Allgäu are thwarted by one-sided legislation in Berlin.

Health also includes care. Over the next five years, we want to almost double the number of new care places - 5,000 have been created in the last five years - to 8,000.

We support all efforts to make the nursing profession more attractive and to attract more qualified specialists from Germany and abroad. To this end, we have established various projects such as the "fast lane" and jumper concepts for short-term care. However, we are well aware that we still have a lot to do.

Our state care allowance is unique in Germany, probably even in Europe. Almost 2 billion euros have been paid out since 2018. We are the only country with a state care allowance. Why does it exist? Out of respect for the love and responsibility that people show for each other in the family.

The state can do a lot in the field of medicine, including high-tech. But it must also keep an eye on the heart. We pay the state care allowance because there is such an incredible amount of self-sacrificing family care in Bavaria. We provide care with heart and not just with high-tech. We thank the families for the great commitment they show for each other.

5 Cannabis and gender

We want people to stay healthy, not get ill. It is therefore completely incomprehensible to me why the traffic lights want to allow drugs. Nobody advises this - neither doctors nor the police. Nor is there any example from other European countries in favour of legalization.

Federal Minister Lauterbach recently said that the legalization of drugs protects the health of young people. What nonsense!

We don't want drugs in Bavaria. The minister in Berlin would have our full support if he finally took care of organizing enough cough syrups and antibiotics for our children instead. That would be important.

(...)

It's not just the drug license. It's also projects like the right to self-determination, unfair voting rights for Bavarians or the debates about gendering. Don't we have any other problems in Germany? For Bavaria, one thing is certain: with us, there will be no mandatory gendering. On the contrary: we will even prohibit gendering in schools and administrations.

6 Art and culture

What else does a country need? Spiritual nourishment, that is culture.

Bavaria is a cultural state. During Corona, we realized how much we lack culture. While others are saving and cutting back on culture and cultural workers are very worried about this, we are taking cultural funding seriously. We will not cut back, but will maintain the investments made to date.

A concert hall in Munich remains an important project for the coming legislative period. However, we want to fundamentally overhaul it and turn the billion-euro project into a million-euro project. This could also be a completely new concept with wood instead of concrete, with nature instead of glass, so that a new combination of culture and climate protection is achieved - certainly also with state-of-the-art technology.

In Nuremberg, we are supporting a concert hall in the Congress Hall. This is a unique project in a very exciting location.

And: we are consolidating our museum initiatives. In addition to the very successful Museum of the Future in Nuremberg, which is beating all visitor records, and a newly established natural history museum, we are examining the revival of the Roman Museum in Augsburg together with the city. It is an important signal that something like this is possible not only in Munich and Nuremberg, but also in other cities such as Augsburg.

IV State

1. bureaucracy

A strong economy and social services also require an efficient state.

Bavaria has a strong state, but we would like to see it a little more modern and streamlined. Excessive bureaucracy paralyzes the economy, demotivates voluntary work and stifles initiatives. That is why reducing bureaucracy is a core concern for us.

Many citizens are skeptical and do not believe it can be implemented. We are also aware that this cannot happen overnight. We also know that most laws are passed in Brussels and Berlin. Incidentally, more than half of the laws on the environment and agriculture that have to be passed in Berlin are the result of decisions taken in Brussels.

However, within the scope of the possibilities we have in Bavaria, we want to start a process to make the state faster, leaner and more digital.

We are not starting from scratch here: Our Bavarian Regulatory Control Council has proven itself as a "bureaucracy MOT", and the practical checks have now set standards nationwide. Contrary to the trend at federal and EU level, we have already succeeded in reducing the number of core standards in the last legislative period.

But we are not resting on our laurels. Our goal is to delete at least ten percent of all administrative regulations and to tighten the paragraph brake. The following already applies in Bavaria: a new law comes, an old law goes. In future, the rule will be: for every new law, two old ones have to go. By way of comparison: in Brussels, only one new law is removed for every three and a half new laws. Furthermore, new laws will only apply on probation in future: If they have not proved their worth within five years, they will simply expire.

We will introduce a law to cut red tape in order to radically streamline the provisions of other laws. This applies above all to building law, regional planning and monument protection.

In addition, we are creating a law exempting restaurants and cafés with the greatest possible freedom for gastronomy and tourism as well as making it easier to close stores, for example by enabling the continuous operation of so-called small supermarkets as a new form of local supply in rural areas. In this way, we are strengthening our businesses and making people's everyday lives easier.

Volunteering is a particular concern of ours. In future, associations should be relieved of official requirements for larger events and celebrations if they have already successfully organized a similar event. No other federal state offers this kind of relief for volunteers. Here in Bavaria, the motto is: right of way for volunteers!

Speaking of voluntary work: at the weekend, many full-time staff and volunteers were once again at work and showed what they can do in the snow chaos. That makes us happy. We would like to say a big thank you to all the emergency services in Bavaria, whether full-time or voluntary!

2. digitalization

We also want to be pioneers in digital administration. While Bavaria is one of the world leaders in high-tech digitalization, the digitalization of administration is well on its way. In a global comparison, however, there is still significant potential for improvement.

Bavaria will lead the way here. Our goal is to digitalize the Bavarian administration as quickly as possible and to use the advantages of AI in the process.

The state and local authorities need to improve significantly in this area. For us, a fax belongs in a museum, but no longer in an office.

We have bold ideas, such as application-free administration. The digital fans in the cabinet call this "push government". In the end, it's no longer the citizen who goes to the office, but the office that comes to them. Our long-term goal, for example, is for people to automatically receive a new ID card when their old one expires.

3 Internal security

In addition to a lean, modern and digital state, we will also need a strong state in the future. Freedom without security makes no sense. Bavaria stands for the highest level of security. Nowhere in Germany is it safer to live than in Bavaria. We have the highest crime clearance rate in Germany and have had the lowest crime rate for 44 years now. Thanks to our police, who do such an excellent job!

This is no coincidence: we have constantly expanded the Bavarian police force in recent years. Today it has a record 45,000 posts. However, as requirements and threats are also constantly growing, we will not let up on the expansion. We are planning 2,000 new positions for the Bavarian police by 2028. Of these, 500 alone will go to the Bavarian Border Police.

In addition to new jobs, the best technical equipment and good pay are also crucial.

In Bavaria, we stand behind our police. While in other federal states the police are quickly pilloried, politicians duck out of difficult missions and even hinder them with bureaucratic rules or gender obligations, we stand by our officers. We have the backs of those who have their backs to us!

4. justice

More police also need more justice. Without swift criminal proceedings, there is no deterrent for criminals. The Bavarian justice system is one of the best in Germany. In Bavaria, criminals are caught more quickly and punished more swiftly. This should remain the case in the future.

In the last legislature, we created a total of 800 new judicial posts, 300 of which were in the criminal justice system. We are continuing this, not only for judges and public prosecutors, but also for prison officers and prison guards. They have one of the most difficult jobs and deserve more support and respect for their work.

We are sending a clear signal against anti-Semitism, racism, extremism, terrorism and xenophobia. While threats are increasing all over the world and also in our country, we as a state are making a promise of protection.

The terrorist attack by Hamas has shaken and awakened us all. Israel's right to exist is a Bavarian reason of state. Anyone who attacks Jewish life is attacking us all. There is no pardon.

In order to make a clear commitment to Israel and Jewish life, my first trip to Israel as Minister President will take place next week.

5 Migration

We are a country of humanity. That is why we have taken in more people from Ukraine than France. We are doing more successful integration work than almost any other country. Although Bavaria has one of the highest levels of immigration of all the federal states, we have the lowest unemployment rate and the lowest crime rate.

But our ability to integrate has also reached its limits. Our local authorities are now completely overwhelmed. This is now not only an organizational problem, but also a challenge for the stability of our democracy.

That is why our message and our demand to the federal government is clear: we urgently need a fundamental change in migration policy in Germany and Europe.

This includes a fixed integration limit of a maximum of 200,000 people per year and a concept to implement this - not at some point, but now.

First and foremost is the protection of Germany's borders. The Bavarian border police play a central role in this. Its reintroduction five years ago was right and beneficial.

(...)

Stationary border controls are also important. We have also been calling for this for a long time. After repeated requests, the federal government finally gave in. Their effectiveness was quickly confirmed. Four out of ten irregular migrants are now turned back by the federal police at the Bavarian border.

There are repeated discussions about constitutional obstacles to border protection. If Article 16a of the Basic Law really is an obstacle, we need to reform it. As Otto Schily said: The traditional basic right to asylum is not made for the current situation. We offer everyone, especially the traffic light in Berlin, a fair and unbiased discussion on the reform of asylum law.

Edmund Stoiber and Renate Schmidt have already led the way in a similar situation in 1993. At that time, there was a compromise, as a result of which the number of asylum applications fell and the Republicans disappeared from all parliaments again. How nice it would be if we could do that again now.

In addition to border protection, it is important to reduce the so-called "pull factors". This is why social benefits for asylum seekers should be provided at a uniform European level in the long term. To this end, access to the German social and security systems should not take place after 18 months, as is currently the case, but after 3 years at the earliest - or preferably only after 5 years.

There also needs to be a decoupling of citizens' benefits and asylum benefits. We will introduce an initiative on this in the Bundesrat. Overall, the citizen's income is the wrong concept, out of kilter and far too expensive. It sets the wrong incentives and needs a fundamental overhaul.

Those who work must have significantly more than those who do not. Anyone who has ever paid into the social security system must end up with more than someone who has never paid in. This also applies to medical benefits. That is socially just.

Everyone should think about why people on middle and low incomes are the biggest critics of the Citizen's Income. We are on the side of those who work hard and perform well.

In general, we are in favor of benefits in kind instead of cash payments. This demand, for which Bavaria was heavily criticized not long ago, has now been adopted at federal level. We want to be a pioneer nationwide in the introduction of a payment card.

We also want to strengthen the repatriation and deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Bavaria ranks second nationally in terms of repatriations. We have increased the repatriation rate by ten percent this year. We could do even more, but only if the countries of origin take back their nationals.

(...)

I don't blame anyone for meaning well. But we must not appear naive in the face of the challenges. We must not ignore the concerns and fears of our citizens for ideological reasons and then - perhaps unintentionally - leave them to radical forces.

Weimar also failed because, in the end, the democrats did not have the strength to jump over their shadows and resist the radicals.

The election in the Netherlands also shows this: Anyone who gives up the firewall to radical right-wing groups only makes them acceptable. It didn't work with Franz von Papen: Those who tear down the firewall will end up burning themselves!

V. Conclusion

This is our course book and the government program of the Bavarian state government for the next five years.
(...)

It is and remains a great honor for me personally to be able to work for Bavaria and its citizens.

Of course, these are difficult times. When I made my first government statement five years ago, I had no idea what we would be facing. But we got through it anyway. We got through it anyway, better than others. That's why I say: with optimism, drive and trust in God, many things are possible.

(...) We want to achieve the best for Bavaria.

Why? Because Bavaria and its people are worth it to us.

So let's get going! Let's get started! Let's tackle it!

God bless our wonderful country!

Status: 06.05.2025
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bayerische Staatskanzlei
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