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Biography
Bodo Ramelow is a German politician and a prominent member of The Left (Die Linke). He was born on February 16, 1956, in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Lower Saxon.
In 1999, Ramelow joined the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which was the successor to the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in East Germany, after starting his career as a trade union organizer. He became one of the most important personalities in the PDS after it united with the Left in 2007. His pragmatic attitude and capacity to build alliances across ideological divisions were the foundations of his political rise.
Ramelow became the first member of the Left to lead a German state since reunification in 1990 when he was elected Minister-President of Thuringia on December 5, 2014. His victory marked a dramatic change in German politics and was backed by a coalition with the Greens and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Despite early opposition because of The Left’s connections to the Communist history of East Germany, Ramelow’s leadership prioritized practical government.
The Left became the largest party in Thuringia for the first time in the 2019 state election. But Ramelow’s government suffered a political deadlock after losing its majority. After Thomas Kemmerich of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) received contentious backing from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), he lost his reelection campaign on February 5, 2020.
National indignation was triggered by this extraordinary cooperation between the AfD and mainstream parties.
Ramelow retaliated by posting an inflammatory tweet that likened Kemmerich’s collaboration with AfD to Adolf Hitler’s past. Kemmerich left his position after only a few days due to public pressure. Ramelow was re-elected Minister-President on March 4, 2020, with both CDU and FDP parliamentarians abstaining.
In 2024, the Left lost further momentum as the AfD became the largest party in the Thuringian state election. Ramelow continued his political activities despite losing the position of Minister-President. In the 2025 federal election, he declared his intention to seek a Bundestag seat in Erfurt-Weimar-Weimarer Land II despite having been re-elected to the Landtag. On March 25, 2025, he was elected and is currently the Bundestag’s vice president.
Bodo Ramelow Parents
There is no information about his parents.
Bodo Ramelow Age, Birthdate, Height, Weight
Bodo was born on February 16 1956, and as of 2025, he is 69 years old. However, his height and weight are unknown to the public.
Bodo Ramelow’s Wife, Children
Bodo is married to Germana Alberti vom Hofe. Together, they have two children.
Bodo Ramelow Net Worth
His estimated net worth has not been revealed.
