Merkel assumes responsibility for “bitter” party setback in Berlin state election

Dhaka, Sept. 20 (NsNewsWire) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to the significant setbacks of her party in the state election in Berlin as “very bitter” and assumed joint responsibility on Monday.

“I take my part of the responsibility as party chairwoman and chancellor,” said Merkel, noting that one reason for the poor performance of Merkel’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is that the direction and objective of refugee policy have not been adequately explained, reports Xinhua.

Even though the refugee influx to Germany had temporarily fallen in the last year, it was out of control, she said after a meeting of the CDU leadership bodies. The meeting was held to discuss the election disaster of their party in Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

“Many mistakes have been made in recent years with regard to the refugee crisis, Merkel said, “Much has been achieved, however, there are still problems in many places.”

“If I could, I would turn the clock back by many years in order to prepare myself better with the whole federal government and all leaders for the situation that caught us unprepared in late summer 2015,” said the chancellor.

According to Merkel, she is willing to consider changing her course in the refugee crisis. However, she would not accept foreigners not being accepted in the country for moral and ethical reasons.

Merkel stressed that she will not permit uncontrolled immigration.

Merkel’s CDU party was hit by a second electoral blow in two weeks in the Berlin state election on Sunday, highlighting increasing pressure on her open-door refugee policy.

In Sunday’s vote, support for the CDU dropped to 17.6 percent from 23.3 percent in the last election in 2011, the lowest since 1990.

Meanwhile, 14.2 percent of the vote enabled the three-year-old right-wing AfD to enter Berlin’s state parliament, marking its tenth successful parliament election among Germany’s 16 states.

Berlin’s traditionally strong Social Democrats (SPD) also recorded a fall in support to a record low of 21.6 percent from 28.3 percent, and is unlikely to continue the current coalition with their junior partner, the CDU.

Two weeks ago, in the state election in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the CDU finished third, which was their worst-ever result in the state. SPD won the election, while AfD came in second.