Merkel faces domestic revolt over refugee welcome

In a heated atmosphere, some of the 1,000-odd members at the meeting warned of a “national disaster” and demanded shuttering the borders as Germany expects up to one million migrants this year.

 

“Stop the refugee chaos — save German culture + values — dethrone Merkel,” read a banner at the congress late Wednesday in the eastern state of Saxony, the home base for the anti-foreigner PEGIDA movement.

 

Merkel, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain in the communist East, insisted she would stay the course and told party members that “isolation already failed in the days of East Germany”.

 

Managing the refugee crisis has turned into Merkel’s greatest domestic political challenge since she took power almost 10 years ago, in November 2005.

 

Long valued by the electorate for her level-headed leadership amid the eurozone turmoil, Merkel has scared many with her welcoming stance amid a growing sentiment that the boat is full.

 

“The chancellor is walking on thin ice,” judged the conservative daily Die Welt, pointing to a “growing gap” between Merkel and the base of her centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) who demand she stem the record influx.

 

Read More: Merkel faces domestic revolt over refugee welcome – Yahoo News