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Merkel Considers Backing Down On Refugee Policy After Poor Election

REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

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Jacob Bojesson Foreign Correspondent
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel considers backing down on her open-door refugee policy after taking the blame for her party’s declining popularity.

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered another major election blow Sunday, when it dropped five points in Berlin’s regional election. The chancellor called a press conference to claim responsibility for the results, and said she was open to a “change in refugee policy” if that’s what Germans want. (RELATED: Merkel Loses Control Of Berlin After Worst-Ever Election)

“If people are saying that the situation of uncontrolled, unregistered immigration should not be repeated, then I’ll fight for that not to be repeated,” Merkel said. “No one wants that situation, and neither do I.”

Merkel said she would “turn back time for many, many years” if possible, to better prepare for the “humanitarian emergency” that took place last summer.

“I’m the party chairwoman, and I’m not going to duck responsibility,” Merkel said. “If one of the reasons for the CDU’s poor showing is that the direction, goal and conviction behind our refugee policy haven’t been explained well enough, I’ll endeavor to rectify that.”

Many CDU voters have turned to Islam critic, populist party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) in protest of Germany taking more one million refugees over the past year, but Merkel said she will continue to make sure Germany will be open to Muslims.

“If people don’t want Muslim asylum-seekers purely because of their religion, that is contrary to our party principles and to Germany’s,” she said. “The CDU and I cannot go along with that.”

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