Söder and Krause join forces over Munich Olympic bid

Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and Munich Mayor Dominik Krause are backing the city’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, BR reported on Tuesday. Krause, a member of the Greens, attended a meeting of Bavaria’s cabinet for the first time.

“Some people will have to be very brave,” Söder joked beforehand, referring to the first Green politician to join a cabinet meeting in Bavaria. The talks focused on Munich’s application and cooperation between the city and the state.

Söder described the meeting as a “very good joint discussion” and spoke of a “close partnership”. Bavaria and Munich were now “one Olympic team”, he said, adding that the bid had gained fresh momentum since Krause became mayor.

Krause said the Olympics could strengthen cooperation in Munich, around the world and in politics. He added that he would gladly return to the cabinet if he was invited again.

The bid emphasises short distances and travel times. According to the Bavarian government, about 90 percent of the competition venues are within a radius of less than 30 kilometres. The Games could also provide sustainable benefits for the economy, tourism and infrastructure.

Bavaria’s Sports Minister Joachim Herrmann said a successful bid would lead to all sports venues being brought up to modern standards. He said Munich and Bavaria had maintained the sustainability of the venues built for the 1972 Games, with almost all of them still in use.

In a referendum in October 2025, 66.4 percent of Munich voters supported hosting the Olympics. The city presented its bid concept with Söder and Krause in June.

The selection of Germany’s Olympic candidate is entering its final phase. Berlin, Munich and the Rhine-Ruhr region, centred on Cologne, remain in the running. The German Olympic Sports Confederation will choose the national candidate in Baden-Baden on September 26, 2026. Söder expects the final contest to be between Munich and Cologne.

Krause said he hoped Munich would win and suggested celebrating together at the Oktoberfest the following day. During a tour of the festival grounds, he was also invited to ride the Fünfer-Looping, a roller coaster. He joked that he and Söder might reconsider the ride afterwards.