Germany’s Merkel re-elected as conservative party leader

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel won a new two-year term Tuesday as the leader of Germany’s main conservative party, gaining solid backing after stressing her determination to prevent a repeat of last year’s huge refugee influx.

The numbers have since declined sharply, but Merkel’s “we will cope” approach to the refugee crisis has provoked discord within the CDU, which has seen a string of poor state election results this year.

While Merkel insists that Germany will continue to take in people who genuinely need protection, her government has moved to toughen asylum rules and declare several countries “safe” — meaning people from there can’t expect to get refuge.

The EU’s longest-serving head of government has often said her aim is for Europe to emerge stronger from crises such as the debt troubles that afflicted the common euro currency.