Last Sunday’s Bavarian poll result changed the political landscape of Germany’s richest and most populous state and caused further problems for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fragile coalition government in Berlin.
For the moment Mrs Merkel does not appear to face a rebellion but after 13 years as Chancellor nobody expects her to stand again in 2021. Her authority seems to be fading fast, which is certainly not good news for the European Union. During her years as Chancellor, Germany had much to celebrate: a robust economy and sound public finances, yet she now needs to restore trust in the grand coalition.
I am a strong admirer of Angela Merkel and I wish her well, but I disagreed with her momentous and dramatic decision to let in one million migrants in 2015-2016. From that tragic day onwards, the German people turned their back on her, which brought about the consequences she is facing now.