The refugee crisis is deepening splits between the parties in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition government, senior politicians say.
Alexander Dobrindt, the Federal Transport Minister and a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is aligned with Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper on Friday that a "serious situation" had arisen between the two parties.
The CSU and CDU disagree over immigration policy, with CSU chief Horst Seehofer repeatedly calling for a cap on the number of refugees entering Germany, a suggestion Merkel has vetoed.
Merkel is facing renewed calls to tack to the right on immigration following a strong performance by the new right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in regional elections on Sunday. The AfD scored double-digit results in three state elections and entered all three regional legislatures, capitalizing on discontent over immigration.
"An AfD double-digit election result would have been unthinkable until recently," Dobrindt added.
On Thursday, Katarina Barley, general secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which shares power as a junior partner in Merkel's grand coalition, told Die Welt that Merkel is closer to the SPD than her own party on the issue of refugees.
"In the search for a European solution [to the refugee crisis] Merkel is with us," Barley said. "She is alone in her party, their people are at loggerheads."
Merkel is in Brussels on Friday for a summit where the EU hopes to secure a deal with Turkey that would drastically reduce refugee flows into Europe. Previously known as a cautious politician, Merkel has taken sustained flak since she decided in 2015 to adopt a welcoming rhetoric and relaxed approach towards refugees arriving in Germany.
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Josh is a staff writer covering Europe, including politics, policy, immigration and more.
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