German Labour and Social Affairs Minister Hubertus Heil and Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow speak at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, December 8, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Mang 

Free State of Thuringia Premier Bodo Ramelow attends a meeting with other state premiers and the federal government at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner 

Free State of Thuringia Premier Bodo Ramelow attends a meeting with other state premiers and the federal government at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his wife Elke Budenbender, President of the German Federal Council, Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow, his wife Germana Alberti vom Hofe pose with the bishop before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, at the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

President of the German Federal Council, Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow, Baerbel Bas, President of Germany's lower house of parliament, Bundestag, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Stephan Harbarth, President of the Federal Constitutional Court pose before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, at the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

President of the German Federal Council, Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow, his wife Germana Alberti vom Hofe, Baerbel Bas, President of Germany's lower house of parliament, Bundestag, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his wife Elke Budenbender, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Stephan Harbarth, President of the Federal Constitutional Court pose before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, at the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Baerbel Bas, President of Germany's lower house of parliament, Bundestag, President of the German Federal Council, Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow and his wife Germana Alberti vom Hofe pose with a bishop before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, on the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Germana Alberti vom Hofe, wife of President of the German Federal Council, Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow, shakes hands with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, on the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Bundesrat and Prime Minister of state Thuringia Bodo Ramelow and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shake hands before a church service, during celebrations to mark the 32nd anniversary of Germany's Unification Day, on the Cathedral church in Erfurt, Germany October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

President of the virus research institute Friedrich Loeffler Institut Thomas C. Mettenleiter speaks next to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state premier Manuela Schwesig and Thuringia state premier Bodo Ramelow during a meeting of East German federal state premiers at Friedrich Loeffler Institut on the island of Riems in Greifswald, Germany, June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Thuringia state premier Bodo Ramelow gestures as he speaks to president of the virus research institute Friedrich Loeffler Institut Thomas C. Mettenleiter next to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state premier Manuela Schwesig, Germany's Parliamentary State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Michael Kellner, Berlin mayor Franziska Giffey, Brandenburg state premier Dietmar Woidke and Federal Government Commissioner for East Germany Carsten Schneider during a meeting with East German federal state premiers at Friedrich Loeffler Institut on the island of Riems in Greifswald, Germany, June 13, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Hesse state premier Boris Rhein, Thuringia state premier Bodo Ramelow and North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wuest chat ahead of German state governors' meeting at the North Rhine-Westphalia state representation in Berlin, Germany June 2, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

Bundesrat President Bodo Ramelow listens to Hesse State Premier Volker Bouffier speaking at a special meeting on financial help measures for Ukraine, at the upper house of parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany, May 11, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks in front of Bundesrat President Bodo Ramelow at the upper house of parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pictured with Bundesrat President Bodo Ramelow at the upper house of parliament Bundesrat as he arrives to deliver his speech in the plenary hall, in Berlin, Germany February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is pictured with Bundesrat President Bodo Ramelow at the upper house of parliament Bundesrat as he arrives to deliver his speech in the plenary hall, in Berlin, Germany February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth, Parliament President Baerbel Bas, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, and Israeli speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

German Parliament President Baerbel Bas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Chairman of the Knesset Mickey Levy stand in front of the #WeRemember sign in front of the Reichstag, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German Parliament President Baerbel Bas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Chairman of the Knesset Mickey Levy stand in front of the #WeRemember sign in front of the Reichstag, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German Federal Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth, the President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, the Speaker of Israel's Knesset parliament Mickey Levy, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Berlin's Holocaust memorial on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Berlin, Germany January 27, 2022. John Macdougall/Pool via REUTERS 

The Speaker of Israel's Knesset parliament Mickey Levy, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Berlin's Holocaust memorial on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Berlin, Germany January 27, 2022. John Macdougall/Pool via REUTERS 

Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher, German Parliament President Baerbel Bas, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Israeli speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy arrive to attend a memorial ceremony commemorating the victims of the Holocaust on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at the German Federal Parliament, Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial, in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow takes a selfie photo with co-leader of the Left wing party Die Linke Susanne Hennig-Wellsow after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was elected as the new chancellor during a session of the German lower house of parliament Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow greets German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after he was elected as the new chancellor during a session of the German lower house of parliament Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, December 8, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of German War Graves Commission Wolfgang Schneiderhan and President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth attend an official Remembrance Day ceremony at the German lower house of parliament, Bundestag in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of German War Graves Commission Wolfgang Schneiderhan and President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth attend an official Remembrance Day ceremony at the German lower house of parliament, Bundestag in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of German War Graves Commission Wolfgang Schneiderhan and President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth attend an official Remembrance Day ceremony at the German lower house of parliament, Bundestag in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Neue Wache memorial to mark Remembrance Day in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Neue Wache memorial to mark Remembrance Day in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow, President of the Federal Constitutional Court Stephan Harbarth and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer attend a wreath laying ceremony at the Neue Wache memorial to mark Remembrance Day in Berlin, Germany November 14, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of the Bundestag Baerbel Bas, and President of the Bundesrat Bodo Ramelow attend the event "1918 - 1938 - 1989: Commemorating November 9" on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, also known as the Night of Broken Glass, at the presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin, Germany, November 9, 2021. Wolfgang Kumm/Pool via REUTERS 

President of the Bundesrat Reiner Haseloff passes the presidency to Bodo Ramelow during a ceremony at the higher house of parliament, Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany, October 8, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands sit with Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow and Bundesrat President Reiner Haseloff during a visit to the upper house of the German parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany July 6, 2021. REUTERS/Christian Mang 

Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow greets King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands as they arrive with Bundesrat President Reiner Haseloff during a visit to the upper house of the German parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany July 6, 2021. REUTERS/Christian Mang 

Museum's Director Joachim Jaeger, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher, Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff, the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation Hermann Parzinger, Hesse State Premier Volker Bouffier, Baden-Wuerttemberg's State Premier Winfried Kretschmann, Rhineland-Palatinate State Premier Malu Dreyer, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Premier Manuela Schwesig, Bremen's Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, Berlin's mayor Michael Mueller and Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow pose at the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) Museum during the visit of Germans State premiers in Berlin, Germany, June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

Museum's Director Joachim Jaeger, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher, Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff, the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation Hermann Parzinger, Hesse State Premier Volker Bouffier, Baden-Wuerttemberg's State Premier Winfried Kretschmann, Rhineland-Palatinate State Premier Malu Dreyer, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania State Premier Manuela Schwesig, Bremen's Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, Berlin's mayor Michael Mueller and Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow pose at the Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) Museum during the visit of Germans State premiers in Berlin, Germany, June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Buedenbender talk to Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow at the former concentration camp Buchenwald, as Germany marks the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp by the U.S. army on April 11, 1945, near Weimar, Germany, April 11, 2021. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his wife Elke Buedenbender and Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow stand at the former concentration camp Buchenwald near Weimar, Germany April 11, 2021, as Germany marks the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp by the U.S. army on April 11, 1945. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow delivers a speech during the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp, at the German National Theatre in Weimar, Germany April 11, 2021. Ronny Hartmann/Pool via REUTERS 

Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow delivers a speech during the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp, at the German National Theatre in Weimar, Germany April 11, 2021. Ronny Hartmann/Pool via REUTERS 

Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow attends the 1000th session of the upper house of Parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany, February 12, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Pool 

Saarland's State Premier Tobias Hans, Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, Hesse's State Premier Volker Bouffier, Lower Saxony's State Premier Stephan Weil, Thuringia's State Premier Bodo Ramelow and Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller attend the 1000th session of the upper house of Parliament Bundesrat in Berlin, Germany, February 12, 2021. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Pool 

Bodo Ramelow, prime minister of the eastern German federal state of Thuringia looks on at a COVID-19 vaccination centre temporarily set up in a former cinema in Weimar, Germany, January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

Bodo Ramelow, prime minister of the eastern German federal state of Thuringia looks as medical staff prepares doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, as part of the coronavirus vaccination campaign at a former cinema in Weimar, Germany, January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow uses a UV-C disinfection unit as he opens a infection protection trade fair "Pro.vention" in Erfurt, Germany, November 5, 2020, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow holds a bottle "Covid Killer" as he opens a infection protection trade fair "Pro.vention" in Erfurt, Germany, November 5, 2020, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues. REUTERS/Karina Hessland 

Bodo Ramelow arrives for a meeting with German German Chancellor Merkel to discuss the restrictions against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, October 14, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow attends a session at the upper house of German parliament, Bundesrat, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, June 29, 2020. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch 

Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow (center) is pictured during a meeting of Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Soeder with other federal state Prime Ministers for the first time after a nation-wide lockdown to discuss further steps to fight the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Berlin, Germany, June 17, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke/Pool 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow and Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff attend a meeting with federal state leaders at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

Thuringia State Premier Bodo Ramelow arrives for a meeting with federal state leaders at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) and cabinet members Minister of Economics Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD), Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Buendnis 90/Gruene), Justice Minister Dirk Adams (Buendnis 90/Gruene), Culture Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Die Linke), Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Heike Werner (Die Linke), Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD), Sports Minister Helmut Holter (Die Linke), Finance Minister Heike Taubert (SPD) attend their first cabinet meeting after the Thuringia state parliament in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. Martin Schutt/Pool via REUTERS 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) rings the bell beside Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff at their first cabinet meeting after the Thuringia state parliament in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. Martin Schutt/Pool via REUTERS 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) speaks to media in front of his new cabinet members in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) reacts after he was elected as a new state prime minister at the Thuringia state parliament in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) speaks to media in front of his new cabinet members in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) poses with his cabinet members Minister of Economics Wolfgang Tiefensee (SPD), Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Buendnis 90/Gruene), Justice Minister Dirk Adams (Buendnis 90/Gruene), Culture Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Die Linke), Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Heike Werner (Die Linke), Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD), Sports Minister Helmut Holter (Die Linke), Finance Minister Heike Taubert (SPD) for a group picture in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke 

Bodo Ramelow of the Left Party (Die Linke) reacts after he was elected as a new state prime minister at the Thuringia state parliament in Erfurt, Germany, March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke