German Chancellor Merkel earns better approval rating in new poll
A new poll shows German Chancellor Angela Markel’s popularity is recovering following a drop in the level of public support for her, which many blamed on the leader’s open door refugee policy.
Results of the survey published by the ARD television on Thursday showed that 54 percent of respondents were satisfied with Merkel's work, up from 45 percent a month earlier.
The poll, in which 1,003 respondents took part, was conducted by telephone Tuesday and Wednesday and had a margin of error of up to 3.1 percentage points.
The results may indicate that Merkel, who has been highly criticized over the past months for her policies on refugees, has managed to repel more pressure by adopting fresh measures in handling the flow of asylum seekers into the country.
The German government announced earlier in the week that it had reached a deal with Afghanistan to return refugees whose applications have been rejected in Germany.
Officials also said that Berlin would no longer stand on ceremony with Greece over the implementation of the European Union regulations that stipulate refugees should be returned to the country of first arrival for the processing of their applications.
The ARD poll also showed that the respondents were less satisfied with the policies of Bavarian Governor Horst Seehofer, the most prominent domestic critic of the chancellor's welcoming approach toward the refugees. The results said Seehofer’s level of satisfaction among the public was down seven points to 37 percent.
Anti-refugee sentiments have affected the public support for Merkel’s CDU party which has experienced defeats in recent state elections across the country.
Germany has taken in around 900,000 refugees. However, increasing demands on the government for a curb on the number of refugees and attacks by suspected refugees on citizens and security forces have forced Berlin to seek ways to dissuade more refugees from entering the country.
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