“The German Government Will Pursue its Refugee Policy with all its Might"
http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/262176/german-government-will-pursue-its-refugee-policy-daniel-greenfieldMarch 15, 2016
Daniel Greenfield
Merkel's Christian Democratic Union took a severe beating in elections. Her refugee redistribution plans, along with a united Europe, are falling apart as Eastern Europe rebels against its Eurocratic overlords. But Merkel isn't going to budge.
Angela Merkel has vowed to stick to her controversial migrant policy despite suffering heavy losses in state elections on Sunday.
The German chancellor’s “open-door” refugee policy has been widely blamed for the damaging election results which saw Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democrat party (CDU) defeated in two states and just manage to cling on in a third.
The far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party stormed to its best ever showing on a anti-migrant platform.
“We have to say that yesterday was a difficult day for the CDU,” Mrs Merkel told a press conference on Monday.
“Without a doubt, we have come a long way towards solving the refugee issue, but we still don't have a sustainable solution. I am fully convinced that we need a European solution and that this solution needs time."
Earlier, a spokesman for the chancellor said her government would not change course.
“The German government will continue to pursue its refugee policy with all its might both at home and abroad,” Steffen Seibert said.
“The goal must be a common, sustainable European solution that leads to a tangible reduction of the number of refugees in all EU member states.”
Is Merkel crazy? Crazy like a fox. A really destructive fox. The CDU's poor election showing hurt her critics within the party more than they hurt her. Instead of a minus, it helps purge the CDU of dissent and potential opposition. Which, in a European political system, is actually more of a threat to the leader at the top than opposing political parties. Merkel's approval rating isn't too bad and the rest of the political landscape is too dysfunctional to pose a severe threat. This lets her drag CDU further to the center while consolidating power. Think of what the GOP establishment has done to conservatives.
The larger implosion in Europe is a bigger threat. Merkel assumed that she could bully Eastern Europe the way she has France and the UK. But smaller countries also have less to lose.
Domestically, Merkel now wants to be seen as an effective manager of the migrant problem, being for reducing overall numbers while still taking in refugees. It requires a lot of historical revisionism to make it work, but enough people have bought it. At least for now. Competent moderation is still the watchword and Merkel has cultivated the right image for it.
