GoKawiilEarlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook and his successor, John Ternus held a virtual meeting with Minister-President of Bavaria, Markus Söder. Here are the details.
Job creation and EU overregulation among topics likely discussed
In a post shared on X, Söder is pictured in front of a large screen showing a glasses-wearing John Ternus during a session also attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Matt Browne, the company’s head of European Government Affairs and Global Insights.
Silicon Valley meets Bavaria: Apple und Bayern sind zwei weltweit starke Marken. Hatte heute gute Gespräche mit @apple CEO @tim_cook und seinem Nachfolger John Ternus. Bayern gilt als das Silicon Valley Europas. Wir sind stolz, dass Global Player wie #Apple ebenso wie junge… pic.twitter.com/7F9i9waq0N — Markus Söder (@Markus_Soeder) July 7, 2026
In the post, Söder said he had “good conversations” with Cook and Ternus about Apple’s presence and continued investment in Bavaria.
Interestingly, Söder’s post also raised concerns about overregulation in AI and data protection, echoing Apple’s criticism of the EU rules it says are delaying the launch of the new Siri AI in the bloc.
From Söder’s post:
“Overregulation, for example in AI and data protection, must not lead to us being cut off from technological progress. We want to shape the future, not just watch it happen.”
While Söder stopped short of confirming that the issue was discussed during the meeting, the timing is notable. Just a few days ago, Cook reportedly held a virtual meeting with EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen as Apple and the bloc sought a way forward in their dispute over the delayed launch of Siri AI in Europe.
Back to Söder’s post, he said that “Apple and Bayern are two globally strong brands,” and added that “Apple now has over 2000 jobs” in Munich.
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