BREAKING NEWS

Merkel's Chief of Staff hopeful conservatives will overcome migrant dispute

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Chief of Staff said on Sunday he was confident Germany's sister conservative parties, embroiled in a row over migrant policy that threatens their unity a year before a federal election, would soon sort out their differences.

Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) - the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) - wants to cap the number of refugees coming here at 200,000 per year after around one million arrived in 2015. But Merkel is against such a measure despite her declining popularity.

Merkel and Seehofer spoke about their dispute on the refugee issue and the general political situation for around two hours on Sunday, German media said. But there were no signs of any breakthrough.