Bavaria's State Government Gets New Ministers for Justice and Youth
Cabinet rotation under Minister-President Söder: CSU parliamentarian Schmid will become Justice Minister in Bavaria following the incumbent's resignation. JU state chairman Knoll will become Minister for Youth and Democracy.
This article is continuously being updated.
Four days after Bavarian Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich (CSU) announced his resignation, his succession has been settled: The new minister will be Munich state parliamentarian Josef Schmid, effective October 1, as Minister-President Markus Söder announced at the CSU parliamentary group retreat at Kloster Banz.
Eisenreich had announced that he would relinquish his ministerial post at the end of September and gradually withdraw entirely from politics. The Munich CSU district chairman wishes to pursue new professional paths.
Schmid: Lawyer and Former Deputy Mayor
Schmid, 56 years old, holds degrees in business administration and law, and works as a lawyer alongside his political activities. He has been a CSU member for nearly four decades, long served on Munich City Council, and became its parliamentary group leader. For four years he served as Munich's Second Mayor and Economic Affairs Commissioner — and thus also as Oktoberfest director. He has been a state parliamentarian since 2018.
Söder emphasized that the center of the justice system in Bavaria is Munich. "In that respect, I think it fits quite well that someone from Munich can take on this role." Schmid is well known both in Munich and in the legal profession.
There had been several "outstanding" candidates to succeed Eisenreich, the Minister-President said. He specifically named Michael Hofmann, the parliamentary business manager of the CSU state parliamentary group. However, Hofmann is particularly needed in the parliamentary group right now, "because we expect the most massive attacks and assaults in parliament in the coming weeks and months." Hofmann nevertheless belongs to "the first leadership reserve."
New Post for JU State Chairman Knoll
In addition, Young Union state chairman Manuel Knoll will become State Minister for Youth and Democracy in the State Chancellery. To make way for this, Europe Minister Eric Beißwenger must leave the cabinet; like Knoll, he comes from Swabia. European affairs will henceforth additionally be handled once again by State Chancellery chief Florian Herrmann.
"What concerns me is the attitude of many young people toward democracy," Söder emphasized. The AfD and the Left Party were receiving strong support particularly from young people. "That is why I want to send a signal. A signal for youth." Knoll's task will be to be "out and about day and night for democracy — and to be a point of contact for young people." CSU parliamentary group leader Klaus Holetschek said: "We can't just look at election results; we also have to try to offer something in response."
Knoll studied business administration and political science in Eichstätt and in France. He worked, among other things, as a project manager in France and as managing director of the Commission for Labour Contract Law of the Bavarian Dioceses. He has been a CSU member of the state parliament since 2023, and in 2025 was elected state chairman of the Young Union.
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Source: BR24 Radio, 21.09.2026 – 1:35 PM
