German chancellor facing tougher fight for fourth term after her perceived ‘open door’ to refugees is blamed for humiliation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Chancellor Angela Merkel hit back at critics of her open-door migrant policy yesterday after her CDU party was humiliated in a regional vote, urging all parties to fight the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) with facts.

Germany’s chancellor still has political staying power. It is misleading to dismiss her on the basis of a single election in which all the established parties took a hit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says that winning back voters' trust will be her priority after a state election in which a nationalist, anti-immigration party beat her party into third place.

Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to embrace global change and consider the country’s international responsibilities as she went on the offensive to justify her policies that have alienated voters.

Germany's anti-migrant party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), has won almost a quarter of the vote in parts of the country.