Angela the beleaguered

WHEN Angela Merkel bravely decided to tackle Europe’s migrant crisis head-on, she may have underestimated the challenge. By refusing to limit the number of refugees Germany would take in and insisting that the rest of the European Union accept some too, Mrs Merkel committed her country to two enormous projects. The first was to absorb a vast wave of immigrants very quickly. The second was to finish the job of creating the common EU external-border and immigration system which the union’s open internal borders require.Germans at first greeted Mrs Merkel’s bold move by cheering in the streets and handing out sweets to refugees. But as the size of the immigration wave becomes apparent, the mood is shifting fast (see ). The numbers are straining towns’ capacity to provide migrants with shelter and public services. Some 51% of Germans now say they are worried about the migrants, up from 38% a month ago. Mrs Merkel’s popularity has dropped to its lowest level since the start of the euro crisis in 2011. Protesters’ placards and even a television news show depict her wearing a Muslim (see picture). Her rivals, and some allies, are demanding that she slow down or reverse course. Some have called for closing the borders to refugees.