Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday vowed to continue efforts to strengthen security at home and speed up repatriations of migrants who were denied asylum in Germany, but insisted the overall situation was much better now than a year ago.

Merkel, whose conservative party lost significant ground to the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a regional election on Sunday, struck a defiant tone in a speech to parliament, denying that the influx of hundreds of thousands of migrants would cut benefits for Germans as some have feared.

She also defended her handling of German-Turkish relations and said a European Union deal with Ankara to curb the flow of migrants was necessary and could serve as a model for agreements with other countries. </s> Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, was on Sunday night once again fighting for her political future after her interior minister slammed the migration deal she secured with her EU counterparts last week as “ineffective”.

Horst Seehofer, Germany’s Interior Minister and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), said on Sunday that he now saw “no alternative” but to turn back some migrants at the German border, a party source told Reuters news agency.

Mr Seehofer, one of Mrs Merkel’s biggest political rivals, also said the matter was affecting the "credibility" of his role as party leader, hinting at a possible resignation.

Two weeks ago he gave Mrs Merkel an ultimatum to find a European solution to irregular migration by this Sunday, or he would defy her by turning migrants back at the border against her wishes.

After a two-day summit with EU leaders in Brussels last week, Mrs Merkel believed she had struck such a deal.

However, Mr Seehofer apparently does not agree.

After an “ineffective” two-hour meeting on Saturday night between Mrs Merkel and Mr Seehofer, the two leaders met with their respective parties for separate meetings in Munich and Berlin on Sunday night. </s> Questions around Europe’s handling of migration and asylum applications continued to cause a political headache on Sunday night as the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, sought to calm tensions with conservative allies inside her coalition government.

After the European Union last week hammered out a vague accord on migration, promising to set up secure centres to process the asylum claims of people rescued in the Mediterranean, Merkel drew up her own raft of measures to tighten controls on the influx of migrants to Germany and presented it to her sceptical coalition partners, the conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU).

Germany’s coalition government is under immense strain, after the hardline interior minister Horst Seehofer – also leader of the CSU – threatened to turn away any asylum claimants already registered in another EU country, unless Merkel came up with a solution by Sunday night.

But after Merkel set out fresh German migration measures to calm the row, Seehofer reportedly voiced his dissatisfaction with Merkel’s deal in a closed meeting with fellow CSU party leaders on Sunday afternoon.

The interior minister complained in Munich that he had engaged Merkel in a “conversation with no effect” about his plan to turn away asylum seekers already registered in other EU countries, the sources said.

Merkel is engaged in a fight for her political survival with the rebellious CSU, which has pressured her for weeks to get tough on immigration and asylum as it fears being outflanked to the right by anti-immigrant, anti-Islam Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Facing regional elections in October, the CSU, the sister party of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU), has been pushing for tougher rules on migration.

The chancellor rejects Seehofer’s plan for Germany to unilaterally turn away at the border already-registered asylum seekers, preferring to seek cooperation with Germany’s neighbours.

Merkel fears that if Germany closes its borders it will set off a chain reaction that destroys Europe’s border-free travel zone, regarded by the EU as one of its greatest achievements, as well as a linchpin of jobs and prosperity.

Merkel drew up a raft of plans to tighten controls on the influx of migrants, according to a document submitted to her coalition partners at the weekend. At her urging, EU leaders last week agreed a slew of measures to reduce immigration to the bloc and so-called “secondary migration” of asylum seekers between countries.

Merkel also said she had struck deals with 16 other countries for them to take back already-registered asylum seekers. But central European nations including Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia denied any such agreement. “Germany has not addressed us and I will not sign this agreement,” Czech prime minister Andrej Babiš said in a statement. “No negotiations have taken place between the Czech Republic and Germany on this question,” he added.

Merkel on Sunday said she wanted her Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian allies to continue working together. She told German broadcaster ZDF that differences with the CSU only related to the way to achieve a reduction in migration, not to the goal as such.

She said: “I share the CSU’s aim of on the one hand reducing the number of immigrants being brought to Europe by smugglers, and on the other hand I also share the view that asylum seekers can’t simply choose which country they want to go to.”

If Seehofer rejects Merkel’s approach and orders border police to begin turning away already-registered asylum seekers, she would be forced to fire him, effectively exploding her conservative camp and robbing her ruling coalition with the Social Democratic party (SPD) of a majority in parliament.

While most analysts expect Merkel to survive the clash with the CSU, it is unlikely to be the last occasion on which the sister party seeks to distance itself from a chancellor it sees as too centrist for its own supporters.

Spain’s maritime rescue service on Sunday picked up 160 people from five boats that were crossing the dangerous Strait of Gibraltar from northern Africa.

The rescue service said 57 migrants were rescued from three boats on Sunday morning and brought ashore in Tarifa, at the southernmost tip of the Iberian peninsula. Another rescue vessel took 103 people to Algeciras, a large port city to the east.

The number of people reaching Europe by the so-called western Mediterranean land and sea route to Spain has surpassed boat arrivals to Italy this year. </s> German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday will make a last-ditch effort to end a migration row with her conservative allies by holding more talks with her interior minister, whose offer to resign cast doubt over whether her fragile government can survive.

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a last-ditch effort to resolve a row over migrant policy with her conservative allies on Monday after a top minister threatened to resign, casting doubt on whether her coalition can survive.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer offered to quit his cabinet post and the chairmanship of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) at a party meeting on Sunday. It was unclear whether this was high-risk brinkmanship aimed at making Merkel back down or whether he has simply had enough.

The CSU had threatened to impose new controls at the German border this week if they deemed that agreements and proposals Merkel brought back from a European Union summit were insufficient to ease the migrant burden.

Merkel is deadset against unilateral action by the authorities in Bavaria, the main entry point for migrants into Germany, saying it goes against European law.

Seehofer was later persuaded by party colleagues to talk to Merkel one last time on Monday to try to settle the dispute, declaring he would make his final decision within three days.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) rely on the CSU to maintain power through a coalition, also including the Social Democrats, formed three months ago after an election in September.

Germany's political crisis is the latest sign of a divide across the EU between those who want to maintain open borders and those who want to restrict the number of migrants entering the bloc.

The ructions in Berlin put pressure on the euro currency on Monday and Germany's top share index opened more than one percent lower.

Merkel and Seehofer are due to meet later in the day. Before that, a joint session of the CSU and CDU parliamentary groups is scheduled to take place, although there was some doubt whether it would go ahead.

CDU lawmakers are still backing Merkel. But the CSU is split itself on how far to push the row with the CDU, and faces a tough regional election in October with a strong challenge from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

By letting the CSU tear itself apart over its future in the coalition, Merkel may yet rid herself of a formidable foe in Seehofer - as she has with a string of other top conservatives in her 12-1/2 years in office.

Bad blood between the two runs deep.

Seehofer, 68, a combative figure who tends to speak with a smile, has been a thorn in her side for years, especially over her open-door migrant policy and the last three years have been punctuated by a series of showdowns between the two.

He told colleagues on Sunday he saw no alternative to turning migrants back at the border despite Merkel's efforts in Brussels last week and that discussions with the chancellor had been fruitless, according to a party source.

Some party meetings got underway on Monday as CDU lawmakers lined up to urge compromise. "This is democracy, and both sides must move," senior CDU lawmaker Carsten Linnemann told broadcaster ZDF.

Veteran CDU lawmaker and former finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble warned that the conservative bloc was standing on the edge of abyss and called for both sides to agree.

Even Bavarian premier Markus Soeder, known to take a tougher line on migrant policy even than Seehofer, said reaching a solution was very important. "One thing is clear: the stability of the government is not a question for us," Soeder said, adding that he was surprised Seehofer offered to quit.

If the row is not resolved, the 70-year old CDU-CSU alliance may break up, robbing Merkel of her parliamentary majority. This could see her trying to lead a minority government, or seek a new election.

Merkel would be only two seats short of a majority in the Bundestag lower house and may choose to rely on the Greens or pro-business Free Democrats to back her on individual policies, or possibly try to agree a more formal alliance.

She could also call a vote of no confidence, which she may win or which may trigger a new election. Opinion polls suggest the AfD would be the biggest winner in any fresh vote.

Even if Merkel, once Europe's most powerful leader, limps on as chancellor, she is widely seen as having lost control of her parliamentary group and her authority is waning. </s> Chancellor Angela Merkel has been threatened with the collapse of her government after her most senior minister attacked her deal with the European Union over migration. Mr Seehofer said the deal was affecting the “credibility” of his role as party leader and warned he saw “no alternative” but to step away from Mrs Merkel’s ‘open door policy.’ Economist Danae Kyriakopoulou suggested that the ultimatums from Mr Seehofer and his Christian Social Union (CSU) could be the Chancellor's undoing. Speaking to Bloomberg, Ms Kyriakopoulou said: "She is no stranger to crisis. She’s faced many crises over her career, most notably over the financial crisis in the euro area. "But now there are high chances this could be it for Merkel."

Mr Seehofer has been pushing for the Chancellor to agree to a tougher immigration policy. And in a bid to save her government, Ms Merkel is set to hold a crucial meeting with her Federal Interior minister and the president of the German Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble. Ms Kyriakopoulou said the meeting could result in "a few scenarios" as the German Chancellor seeks to resolve the crisis. She said: "We shall see today how the meeting goes with her coalition partners. "We could see her governing in a minority Government, we could see her Government falling apart. We shall see that today." The economist warned the fall of Mrs Merkel, or an erosion of her control over the government could have serious consequences for the European Union.

She said: "She’s not just any Chancellor, she is the symbol of the western liberal order and as Willy Brandt – former Chancellor of West Germany – said ‘it’s a weak Germany, not a strong Germany that is most dangerous for the European integration project.’ "What we could see here is, if Merkel survives this crisis, there will soon be another one. We see Donald Trump having some intentions in terms of pressuring her in the NATO summit so we shall see that again. "It’s also, when we think about the euro and European integration in terms of the European Monetary Union and the Economic Monetary Union, a political project. So far it’s been held together because there was a political will to hold it together. "If not political leaders start to drift apart because of migration policy that could also have repercussions for the euro. "So far it’s been the European Central Bank that held it together but this is no longer an option." </s> BERLIN (AP) — Germany's interior minister is expected to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel's party after offering his resignation in a bitter dispute over migration policy, but there's little sign of a possible compromise.

The three-week dispute pits Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and his Bavaria-only Christian Social Union against Merkel, the head of its longtime sister party, the Christian Democratic Union.

Ahead of a difficult Bavarian state election in October, the CSU is determined to show it's tough on migration. Seehofer wants to turn some asylum-seekers back at Germany's border, but Merkel is adamant that Germany shouldn't take unilateral action.

Seehofer, who reportedly argues that measures to tackle migration agreed at a European Union summit last week aren't enough, said early Monday he would hold talks during the day with the CDU. </s> Merkel: Migrant situation in Germany 'many times better'

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday defended her government's handling of the flood of migrants that crossed into Germany last year, but conceded that more still needs to be done and that concerns that have led to increasing support for an anti-immigrant nationalist party need to be taken seriously.

Merkel told lawmakers that since she addressed them at this time last year, Germany has managed to come a long way in dealing with the hundreds of thousands of migrants that flooded in to the country.

"The situation is many times better than a year ago, but there remains a lot to do," she said.

On the weekend, Merkel's Christian Democratic Union suffered an embarrassing election performance in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Merkel has her parliamentary constituency, when it was beaten into third place by the nationalist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, known as AfD.

The state is home to few migrants, but Merkel after the election conceded that the result was more about dissatisfaction with national issues rather than local matters.

She told Parliament, where AfD is not represented, that the election was a "black eye" inflicted by "those who rely on slogans and seemingly simple answers." She said that voters' concerns "whether founded or unfounded, should be taken seriously" by "all of us in this house," noting that the party had taken away support from all other main parties.

"I am quite sure that if we resist this and stick to the truth, then we will win," she said. "And that way we will win back the most important thing that we need — the trust of the people."

In the past year, Merkel said, Germany has implemented policies speeding up integration measures for migrants with good prospects of staying, increased school funding to help their educations, and worked with cities and states to find solutions to local problems.

Merkel also stressed that the country managed to drastically reduce the influx of new migrants coming to Germany.

But she said the country still needs to improve the mechanism for quickly processing and returning home migrants who have little chance of being given asylum.

She said Germany has also beefed up police and security forces to fight terrorism, but emphasized that "terrorism is not a new problem that came here with the refugees."

"We serve our country in these times of globalization best if we are guided by our values of freedom, security, justice and solidarity," she said. </s> Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel hit back at critics of her open-door migrant policy on Wednesday after her conservative CDU party was humiliated in a regional vote, urging all parties to fight the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) with facts.

In a combative speech to the Bundestag lower house of parliament, Ms Merkel directly addressed the outcome of Sunday’s election in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where the AfD pushed her Christian Democrats into third place.

“All of us should realise the AfD is a challenge not only for the Christian Democrats ... but that they are a challenge for everyone in this house,” she said, suggesting that the AfD’s anti-immigration policies were a threat to the values of society.

In the weekend vote, the AfD, which has fed on fears about the influx of around a million migrants to Germany last year, stole voters from all parties and mobilised many people who had previously not voted. It is now represented in nine of Germany’s 16 states and looks poised to enter the Bundestag next year.

Ms Merkel, who is expected to stand for a fourth term in next year’s federal election, said much had already been achieved since the height of the migrant crisis a year ago.

“We have behind us a year full of decisions ... to reduce the number of migrants,” she said. She added her government had taken steps to help local authorities pay for refugees, passed an integration law and accelerated repatriations of migrants denied asylum and boosted security.

“The situation today is much better than it was a year ago. But there is still much to do,” she said.

“Change is not a bad thing ... Germany will remain Germany with everything that we love and treasure,” she said.

In a swipe at her conservative partners in Bavaria who have criticised her for failing to respond to voters’ worries about migrants, she said politicians should tone down their rhetoric.

If parties tried to win a quick advantage after “a black eye” from a regional election, “the winners will be those who reach for slogans and seemingly simple answers,” she said.

Ms Merkel said politicians must learn the lessons by taking peoples’ worries seriously and explaining the facts.

“I am sure that if we stick to the truth, we will win back what we need – peoples’ trust,” she said.

The AfD is also expected to perform well in an election in the city of Berlin on September 18th. An Insa poll on Tuesday put them at 15 per cent nationally, compared to 30.5 per cent for Ms Merkel’s conservative bloc which shares power with the Social Democrats.

Ms Merkel also defended the EU’s migrant deal with Turkey and her relationship with Ankara. Critics have accused the chancellor of cosying up to Turkey’s president Tayyip Erdogan despite his patchy human rights record, especially after a July coup attempt.

“The deal with Turkey is a model for further similar agreements,” she said, naming Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. </s> BERLIN, Sept 6 (Reuters) - The leader of the state of Bavaria warned German conservatives on Tuesday that they faced an "extremely threatening" situation after a "disastrous" state election on Sunday which he blamed squarely on Angela Merkel's open-door migrant policy.

Exposing deep rifts within Chancellor Merkel's conservative bloc, Horst Seehofer, the combative premier of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU), said the chancellor had failed to respond to voters' worries about the migrant crisis.

"The situation for the conservatives is extremely threatening," Seehofer told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, adding voters were fed up with "Berlin politics".

Merkel's conservatives suffered heavy losses in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Sunday, coming third behind the centre-left Social Democrats and, more surprisingly, the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD).

With a federal election just a year away, Merkel's ratings have fallen to a five-year low since opening German borders to about a million migrants last year and then championing a disputed EU-Turkey deal to solve the crisis.

Amid the post-election row, Seehofer has also cancelled a trip to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said the state election disaster was a result of failing to draw the right conclusions after losses in other regional votes this year. Some CSU members have renewed calls for Merkel to put a limit on the number of migrants entering Germany.

The Social Democrats (SPD), junior partner in Merkel's right-left coalition, have seized on speculation about whether she may decide not to run in next year's election, although there are no obvious rival conservative candidates.

Deputy SPD chairman, Ralf Stegner, told Spiegel Online: "Mrs Merkel has clearly passed her zenith. The question is whether she still has her party behind her."

Merkel, chancellor for nearly 11 years, on Monday took responsibility for the state election result but stood by her migrant policy.. She wants the blessing of Seehofer's CSU before declaring she will stand for the chancellorship again.

With her party facing losses in a state election in the city of Berlin in two weeks, an INSA poll in Bild on Tuesday showed the conservative bloc unchanged on 30.5 percent at a national level, with the AfD up half a percentage point at 15 percent.

"Merkel can only hope that sanity - her sanity - works with voters. It's not certain," wrote top-selling Bild in an editorial. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Catherine Evans)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel defends her stance regarding the European migrant crisis despite her party losing in the key election.