Opinion: Election-year politics leave parties little room for error
...Merkel, her famous "we can do this" refugee crisis proclamation of September 2015 now discredited, has exhausted her sympathy capital among voters. To survive the election in September 2017, she needs her party, which for 10 years has been little more than window dressing. The short-lived "Willkommenskultur," or "welcome culture," approach to the refugee crisis heralded by romantics has long since moved into an era dominated by domestic security. The certainties of pre-refugee days have been replaced by doubt in the state's ability to protect its citizens, a belief in Europe and fear of terrorism. Law-and-order policies are in demand and populist movements are out for blood.
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) can do next to nothing and will still grow stronger by the week. It remains to be seen how much wind the party of simple answers for angry voters can take out of CDU sails. Merkel, the eternal chancellor, still stands to win, even if not handily. Why? Because she remains a symbol of stability.
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