Merkel faces strong challenge from German nationalist party
Germany is set to hold regional elections in three major states Sunday, and many say they will be a key test for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her 海角大神 Democratic Union (CDU) party.
Three German states will head to the polls on Sunday: Baden-W眉rttemberg, Rhineland Palatinate in southwestern Germany, and Saxony Anhalt in the former East Germany, where Ms. Merkel faces strong opposition from the three-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Bolstered by anti-immigration sentiments, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has increasingly gained popularity, and is now 鈥減olling at double digits in all three states 鈥� a historic achievement for a party that was only founded three years ago and looked close to collapse when its founder left last July,
In January, the leader of the party was quoted saying that migrants entering illegally should, if necessary, be shot,
Merkel's staunch support for refugees has cost her party support, especially in聽Baden-W眉rttemberg, a former stronghold of support, as AfD support surges in the region.聽鈥淗er course on the refugee crisis is the right one for the world, but it鈥檚 the wrong one for her party here in Baden-W眉rttemberg,鈥澛燞ans-G眉nther Knaupp, a lawyer attending the CDU rally told The Guardian.
Some have even speculated that a poor showing at the polls, combined with a skeptical reaction to Merkel's handling of the refugee crisis could lead the CDU to oust her as leader, The Guardian reports.
鈥淢any people around the country are unhappy and may think now is the time to teach the government a lesson,鈥� said Merkel as the Guardian reported. 鈥淏ut this is about you and your choices.鈥�
Yet a disappointing result isn't necessarily a major blow to the chancellor, some analysts say.
鈥淐hancellor Merkel is protected by the absence of credible alternative figures and the weakness of the [Social Democratic Party, the historical rival of Merkel's CDU]鈥� William Paterson, professor of German and European Politics at Aston University, tells the 海角大神 Science Monitor.
鈥淭he AfD is an irritation more than a threat at present,鈥� he says.
鈥淭hough she鈥檚 grappling with the biggest challenge in a decade as chancellor, no obvious successor is in sight and party rebels who oppose her refugee policy lack a coup leader,鈥� , a political correspondent for Bloomberg News
The AfD 鈥� formed in 2013 amid the Greek debt crisis that destabilized the European economy 鈥� was intended to challenge the German-backed Greek bailouts, but it has 鈥渕orphed in the years since, finding a new reason for being as more than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year,鈥�
The refugee crisis has continued to polarize Germany and Europe, with Merkel facing , and the 海角大神 Social Union (CSU), the CDU's Bavarian sister party.
But Merkel has been resilient, resisting pressure to cap the number of migrants seeking asylum in Germany. While several Balkan countries have closed their borders, blocking refugees, Merkel and other European officials are finalizing on a deal with Turkey, aimed at easing the crisis.
Would an election upset change Merkel鈥檚 stance on the migrant crisis?
鈥淪he is not likely to change her stance. Her energies will be centered on the deal with Turkey.鈥� That could change however, if the refugee crisis 鈥渨orsens and we have a renewed Eurozone crisis,鈥� Professor Paterson says.
