Merkel's dilemma as Germany frets over refugees

"Merkel has taken a relatively bold stance in last couple of weeks," says Christian Odendahl of the CER . "Her challenge is that she needs on the one hand to solve the problem, while retaining her moral authority on the other."

"Merkel has always been seen as a reasonable guardian of German interests and stability, and on this issue she was in a dilemma: she couldn’t be too hawkish on the issue, given the German public consensus on migrants. The problem was always bigger than people realised; she held out for a long time, and then realised that she needed to embrace the German public’s position first, before moving on to a proper solution, together with other European countries. As long as she manages the problem in a humane way, she will be close to the German consensus. In the end, failure to manage this problem is not an option for her."