Merkel's popularity fades following refugee crisis

Support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel has fallen significantly as a result of her management of the refugee crisis, according to the results of two polls published over the weekend.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that a survey conducted by TNS Forschung showed that Merkel's popularity fell by five points over a three-month period to 63%.

In contrast, Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer, who earlier this month criticised Merkel's decision to admit Syrian refugees from Hungary into Germany as a "mistake", gained support, with his rating up six points to 44%.

A separate poll, conducted for ZDF television, measured Merkel's rating fall from 2.4 to 1.9, on a scale of -5 to +5, over a two-week period.