German media and politicians struck a cautious note about a draft deal between the European Union and Turkey aimed at stemming the flow of migrants to Europe, with many wary of Turkish demands for billions more in cash and faster European Union membership talks.
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The elections in the states of Saxony-Anhalt, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate are the first in Germany since the refugee crisis began and will give voters a chance to punish or reward parties for their role in or response to the influx of more than a million migrants previous year.
However, Merkel’s Federal Justice Minister Heiko Maas warned that the European Union leaders should also consider Ankara’s actions against the media when negotiating with Turkey over the refugee crisis.
One of those draining support from Merkel’s CDU is the AfD.
The AfD is already represented in five of Germany’s 16 regional parliaments but the party, which was originally founded as an anti-euro party in 2013, is not yet present in any of the state assemblies that will be elected on Sunday.
Participants of a demonstration by far-right groups hold up banners calling for Chancellor Angela Me …
Merkel still needs to seal the deal at another summit on March 17-18. In the west, it could be pipped by the Greens in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where it is now the largest party.
Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel has risen to its highest level this year, a poll showed on Wednesday just four days before closely-watched elections in three states, but her conservative party has not benefited.
“Major losses on Sunday would add to the unease within her own party”, said Berenberg’s Schmieding.
In the wine-growing region of Rhineland-Palatinate 9 percent are set to give their vote to the AfD in a move that would make it the third biggest party there.
“Human rights and the rule of law must always be part of our dialogue with Turkey”, said Maas, who is a member of left-leaning Social Democrats, the junior member of Merkel’s conservative-led coalition.
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Asked at a campaign rally on Saturday how she was preparing for Sunday’s results, Merkel said: “I’m crossing my fingers”.
