Angela Merkel's authority has suffered since her decision to maintain open borders during 2015's migrant crisis, with her infamous words of "Wir Schaffen Das" (We Can Do This).
It led to vocal resistance from the CDU's rightwing and the Christian Social Union (CSU), its Bavarian sister party, most notably by its leader Horst Seehofer.
Moreover, it fuelled support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) that won 12.6 percent of the vote in Back our independent journalism by becoming a supporting memberGet EU news that matters
Matthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.
Matthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.