As critics within the EU parliament scolded the provisional EU deal with Turkey, skeptics in Germany also took aim at the agreement, with the leftist Die Linke party likening the deal to Turkish "blackmail."
European lawmakers slam #EU-#Turkey US$3.35 billion deal as UN clashes with Brussels chiefs https://t.co/SBKul4LEYN pic.twitter.com/N1IBjRXlPU
— Sputnik UK (@SputnikNewsUK) March 9, 2016
On the other side of the political spectrum, the right-wing tabloid newspaper, Bild, was equally critical of the deal, with an online editorial accusing EU leaders of planning to "spend billions to support and even accelerate Turkey's path towards becoming an authoritarian religious state based on violence, just to ensure that the regime there takes the refugees off our hands".
Germans to Vote in Regional Polls
The criticism over the latest attempt to stem the flow of refugees into Europe comes as three German states head to the polls for regional elections this weekend.
In the CDU's traditional stronghold of Baden-Württemberg, a recent poll suggested the party's support had dropped by more than 10 percentage points, placing it second behind the Green Party. While elsewhere, increased support for the anti-immigration Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party was expected to further erode CDU votes.
The elections are seen as a litmus test of public opinion on Merkel's refugee policies, amid rising anger over the chancellor's refusal to place an upper cap on the number of refugees Germany was willing to accept.
Intra-Party Tension
This tension has led to friction within Merkel's own party, with a number of senior cabinet ministers publicly contradicting the chancellor in recent months.
The frustration over Germany's approach to the migration crisis culminated in Merkel being subjected to a public dressing down by Bavarian sister party leader Horst Seehofer, who has been hugely critical of the chancellor's refusal to introduce refugee caps.
#Germany braced for #crime wave as police lose control over #migrants https://t.co/wVY3VyTtSW #RefugeeCrisis pic.twitter.com/gH98eGdSgR
— Sputnik UK (@SputnikNewsUK) March 9, 2016
While Merkel and other government figures are urging voters to keep the faith with Germany's current approach to the migration crisis, polls suggest the chancellor may be heavily punished for her policy on the matter, with regional polls set to have a significant impact in shaping next year's national elections.
