Merkel Rejects ‘Easy Answers’ in Slap at Populist Take on Crises
- Chancellor’s budget speech seeks to buoy her above the fray
- AfD wins must be confronted by a steady hand, Merkel says
Angela Merkel, Germany's chancellor, speaks in the lower-house of the German Parliament in Berlin, on Wedneday, Sept. 7, 2016.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to embrace global change and consider the country’s international responsibilities as she went on the offensive to justify her policies that have alienated voters.
Addressing parliament three days after an anti-immigration party defeated her Christian Democratic Union in a state election, Merkel sought to stand above the political fray and reclaim her role as defender of economic and social stability. She signaled she won’t stoop to populist rhetoric to win back voters, saying there are no easy answers.