Merkel under pressure as minister threatens to quit
BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a last-ditch effort to resolve a row over migrant policy with her conservative allies yesterday 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 highrisk brinkmanship aimed at making Merkel back down or whether he has simply had enough.
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 against unilateral action by the authorities in Bavaria, the main entry point for migrants into Germany, saying it goes against European law.
Seehofer was persuaded by party colleagues to talk to Merkel yesterday to try to settle the dispute, declaring that he would make his final decision within three days.
Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) rely on CSU to maintain power through a coalition which includes the Social Democrats, formed three months ago after an election in September.
CDU lawmakers are backing Merkel. But CSU is split on how far to push the row with CDU, and faces a tough regional election in October.
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.