Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder (CSU) referred to this as the “second strike.” Bavaria sees itself as a state committed to the Bundeswehr and the defense industry: following a law concerning the Bundeswehr, the state government is now also introducing a law to promote the defense industry.
Giving Greater Weight to Defense Industry Interests
“This exists only in Bavaria,” Söder said after a cabinet meeting. The goal is to facilitate and expedite the establishment and expansion of defense industry companies. According to the State Chancellery, the draft law provides for significant simplifications in building regulations, heritage protection, and procurement law. The interests of the defense industry are to be given greater weight in state planning in the future.
Söder explained that the state government also aims to promote transformation through this measure: there are a number of companies, for instance suppliers in the automotive sector, that are increasingly engaging with defense technology. “They, too, will benefit significantly from this.” According to Söder, the Bavarian promotional bank LfA is to be “explicitly authorized and encouraged” to provide the necessary capital funding for companies in the defense sector.
Drone Law Moves to State Parliament
Simultaneously, the draft law for protection against drone overflights in Bavaria cleared its next hurdle in the cabinet: after a rapid consultation process with associations was completed, the state government gave the green light. The draft now goes to the state parliament for deliberation and adoption. Head of the State Chancellery Florian Herrmann (CSU) emphasized that the law will create legal clarity for the Bavarian police. According to the draft, the state police will henceforth be authorized to shoot down dangerous drones.
Söder Aims to Honor Reserve Service
Furthermore, the cabinet passed a regulation to facilitate reserve service in the Bundeswehr: accordingly, civil servants, judges, and individuals at the start of their civil service careers can now be granted ten days of leave for national defense purposes – twice as many as before.
On social media, Söder wrote: “The state is leading by example to honor reserve service. Shortly before the Bundeswehr’s 70th birthday, this is also a sign of appreciation for all our soldiers.” Security and defense are a priority for Bavaria.
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