Angela Merkel gets punished' in crucial state polls

Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel stood firm on Monday on her refugee policy, despite a drubbing in regional elections described as a “debacle” in which disgruntled voters turned to the anti-migrant AfD.

Merkel’s CDU was at the receiving end of voter anger, suffering defeats in two out of three states in Sunday’s elections including in traditional stronghold Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The stinging result for the conservative CDU was accompanied by a surge in backing for the right-wing populist AfD, which had sparked outrage by suggesting police may have to shoot at migrants to stop them entering the country. AfD’s double-digit score in all three states indicates that the public outrage fuelling far-right movements such as France’s National Front and Austria’s Freedom Party has also gained a foothold in Germany.