Angela Merkel’s admits blame after CDU ‘beaten by anti-migrant AfD party’ in German state election
The right-wing AfD is set to overtake the CDU in Merkel's own constituency
GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday took her share of the blame for her party’s election defeat in the state where she has her political base.
But she strongly defended her disastrous immigration policy.
Sunday’s election for the state legislature saw a strong performance for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union finished third.
The Social Democrats, her partners in Germany’s national government, remained the strongest force in the state ahead of national elections next year. Merkel said: “I am the party leader, I am the
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Chancellor, you can’t separate those in people’s eyes, so I am of course responsible too.
“I believe the decisions were right and we must continue working. The issue of integration will play a huge role in that.”
Exit polls put AfD support around 21 per cent, slightly higher than 19 or 20 per cent for the CDU. Earlier this year, it was expected that the CDU would help form the region's coalition government along with the centre-left Social Democratic Party.
The German Chancellor's refugee policies played a prominent role during election campaigns - as Germany registered over 1 million people as asylum-seekers last year.
Sunday's election took place a year after Merkel opened the door to migrants from Hungary.
Local AfD leader Leif-Erik Holm told supporters: "Perhaps this is the beginning of the end of Angela Merkel's chancellorship today."
However, the AfD failed in its aim of becoming the strongest party - and didn't match the 24.3 per cent support it won in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt in March. As it stands, the AfD has no realistic chance of going into government.