German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator as in background can be seen a stacker machine at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (3rd L) and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping (L), who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, step down from an old lignite excavator as in background can be seen a stacker machine at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping, who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (2nd R) and Saxony's Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion Petra Koepping (C), who is the social democratic SPD party's top candidate for regional elections in Saxony, stand on an old lignite excavator as in background can be seen a stacker machine at the Mining Technology Park and the recultivation of lignite mining in Grosspoesna near Leipzig, eastern Germany, August 30, 2024. Scholz visited the site ahead of regional elections to take place on September 1, 2024 in two eastern federal states, Saxony and Thuringia. (Photo by LISI NIESNER / AFP) (Photo by LISI NIESNER/AFP via Getty Images)