German Chancellor Angela Merkel conceded during her annual summer press conference on Friday that the recent government crisis over migration policy cost her coalition public trust that will have to be won back.
โYes, I believe that is the case,โ Merkel said in response to a question as to whether the spat between her conservative CDU and its hardline CSUย sister party over whether to turn back migrants at the border had reduced her standing in the eyes of the public.
Merkel said she believed the debate over migration policy was an important one to have, but that the tone of the discussion โwas often very harsh, and I attach a very, very great importance to the language.โ
German Interior Minister and CSU leader Horst Seehoferโs push to start turning away migrants put him on a collision course with the chancellor, who insisted on avoiding unilateral decisions in favour of solutions in accordance with other EUย member states. Read more