Germany leftists agree historic deal to rule in Thuringia

Socialist Bodo Ramelow is now expected to head Thuringia's government after a vote next month

Leftist parties in Germany have agreed a historic coalition deal which will see the first far-left regional president since the fall of communism.

Under the deal, Bodo Ramelow of the Die Linke party is expected to become state premier of Thuringia state next month.

More details about the coalition are expected to be announced on Thursday.

The socialist Die Linke has been part of several state governments in Germany, but it has not led one since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

It is a successor of the communist party which ran East Germany.

Mr Ramelow tweeted on Wednesday that Die Linke had reached a deal with the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens, in a so-called "red-red-green" coalition.

He said that a Linke-led coalition government would pursue "pragmatic policies" and would be a "project of reconciliation".

The agreement is reportedly set to last for five years, and analysts say it could form a blueprint for a similar coalition at the national level.

The appointment of Mr Ramelow is still subject to a vote in the state assembly which is currently scheduled for 5 December.

Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats, who rule at the national level, are nonetheless expected to become the opposition in Thuringia.

The announcement comes just over a week after celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the fall of Berlin Wall.

German President Joachim Gauck said that people who lived under Communism would "find it quite hard to accept" a socialist-led state government.