Merkel urges divided Germans to pull together in 2019

Acknowledging that her government disappointed many Germans in 2018, Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to pull the country together for 2019 with a call for solidarity and cooperation to overcome deep political divisions. In her New Year speech, Merkel said she recognized that many Germans "bemoaned" the ruling coalition that took office in March, an alliance of her conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), which has been blighted by infighting. Resentment at that decision helped feed the rise of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which surged into the Bundestag for the first time at last year's federal election, fracturing the country's political landscape.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://yhoo.it/2F0P0yK