Bavaria’s justice minister Eisenreich announces resignation

Bavaria’s Justice Minister Georg Eisenreich has announced that he will leave office at the end of September, BR reported. He will remain in the state parliament until the end of the legislative period in 2028 and chair the CSU district association in Munich until summer 2027.

Eisenreich, 55, said he had informed Minister President Markus Söder of his decision. He said he had never intended to spend his entire professional life in politics and wanted to step down while still young enough to take on new professional responsibilities.

He plans to return to working as a lawyer and focus on digitalisation, legal technology, artificial intelligence and support for start-ups. He also wants to pursue legal research projects.

Eisenreich said he wanted more freedom in his professional and private life, including more time for his family and life without personal protection. He also looked forward to writing new cabaret scripts without the restrictions and considerations required of a minister.

Eisenreich has been a member of the state parliament since 2003 and has served as justice minister since late 2018. Before that, he was minister for Europe and digital affairs for several months.

Successor remains undecided

It is not yet clear who will succeed him. Söder said the CSU parliamentary group would decide on the successor at its meeting in Kloster Banz next week.

Söder said he regretted Eisenreich’s decision but described it as a personal choice for a new phase of life that deserved respect. He praised Eisenreich’s “straightforward” style and thanked him for his work and their personal friendship.

Eisenreich said his departure would give Söder an early opportunity, before the 2028 state election, to appoint a successor who could be fully prepared for the campaign.