[Published: Monday June 18 2018]
 German chancellor Merkel facing bitter row over immigration
BERLIN 18 Jun (ANA) - The Chancellor's Coalition partners, the Christian Social Union (CSU), want to turn away at the border migrants who have previously been registered in another EU country - often their first port of call, Italy or Greece.
But Merkel is firmly opposed to the plan, favoured by CSU Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, warning that it would leave countries at the EU's southern periphery alone to deal with the refugee influx.
An act of rebellion from Seehofer could force her to sack him, which 'would be the end of the government and the alliance between CDU and CSU,' an unnamed CDU source told Bild. The German newspaper called it 'destiny day for Angela Merkel'.
It comes after a CSU MP suggested Merkel could be ousted by next week if she doesn't come up with a plan for the migrant crisis.
Kai Whittaker, a member of Ms Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, said infighting could weaken the ruling coalition and make her position untenable. He said Germany could have a 'new situation' by the end of next week - later clarifying that he meant 'probably a new Chancellor'.
Merkel is desperate to find a common European solution to the migrant crisis at the June 28-29 European Union summit.
Seehofer has been one of the fiercest critics of Merkel's liberal stance that allowed a million asylum seekers into Germany since 2015. His CSU party is due to meet today Monday to decide which course to take.
He has the nuclear option of seeking approval to shut Germany's borders immediately in defiance of Merkel, or the less aggressive choice of giving her an ultimatum of two weeks to sort out a deal with other EU nations.(ANA)
FA/ANA/18 June 2018--------
|
Africa/US/China