Markus Söder

Markus Söder

Markus Thomas Theodor Söder (born 5 January 1967) is a German politician from Bavaria, Germany. He has served as Minister-President of Bavaria since 2018. This means he is the leader of Bavaria, one of the largest and most important states in Germany.

In 2019, Söder also became the leader of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU). The CSU is a major political party in Bavaria and works closely with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the national level.

Söder studied law and has had a long career in politics. His role lets him help shape policies that affect daily life for people in Bavaria and Germany.

Background, education and military service

Markus Söder was born in Nuremberg, Germany. After finishing school at the Dürer-Gymnasium in Nuremberg in 1986, he completed his compulsory year of military service. He then studied law at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, where he earned a scholarship from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. After his studies, he worked in research and later became a full-time politician.

Political career

Markus Söder has been a member of the Landtag, the state parliament of Bavaria, since 1994. From 2003 to 2007, he worked with Edmund Stoiber, the then Minister-President, as secretary general of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU).

He helped negotiate a coalition agreement after the 2005 federal elections. This helped form Chancellor Angela Merkel's first cabinet.

Söder held many important jobs in Bavaria, including State Minister for Environment and Health. In 2018, he became Minister-President of Bavaria after Horst Seehofer left for another role. He was elected with strong support and later became the leader of the CSU in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, he was seen as a possible candidate for Chancellor but chose to support another person from his party.

Role in national politics

Markus Söder has helped choose Germany’s president and talked about the country’s government. He did this in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2022. He also joined talks about health, money, and banking after elections in 2009 and 2013.

He worked with leaders like Ursula von der Leyen, Wolfgang Schäuble, and Olaf Scholz to help make big decisions for Germany.

Other activities (selection)

Markus Söder takes part in many groups. He works with Munich Airport and Nuremberg Airport. He also helps at places like the Deutsches Museum, the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), and the Ifo Institute for Economic Research. He is on boards and committees for cultural and educational groups.

Political positions

During the Greek government-debt crisis, Markus Söder said Greece should leave the Eurozone. He did not want countries like Bulgaria and Romania to join the eurozone.

In his state, Söder’s government put up crosses at public buildings to show Bavarian culture. He supported same-sex marriage in Germany. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Söder was the first leader in his state to announce a lockdown.

Söder has visited many countries. He has met leaders from Ethiopia, Russia, Croatia, Israel, China, Italy, and India.

Recognition

In 2024, Markus Söder received an honorary doctorate from Tsinghua University. This shows his important work and leadership in politics.

Personal life

Markus Söder has been married to Karin Baumüller since 1999. Karin helps run the Nuremberg-based Baumüller Group,, a company that makes electric automation and drive systems. They have three children together, and Söder has a daughter from a past relationship.

Söder is a member of the Protestant Church in Germany and says he believes in it. He enjoys wearing fun costumes during the carnival season, including characters like Shrek and Marilyn Monroe.