As thousands of migrants reached Europe this summer with many fleeing civil war in Syria, Merkel surprised many by opening up Germany's borders in order to let thousands of asylum seekers into the country.

The move was a hard test for European solidarity and a number of countries in the eastern bloc criticized Germany's move, which made their countries conduits for thousands of migrants trying to reach more prosperous northern Europe.

While many German voters were initially supportive of Merkel's stance, the tide could now be turning. Germany's government also appears to have been overwhelmed by the number of people arriving (the country expects to receive 800,000 people this year) and local authorities are under increasing pressure.

Earlier this week, the chancellor tried to reassure Germans that the country can cope with the influx. "There are very, very many asylum applicants, but there are 80 million of us," she told residents of Nuremberg, Bavaria, on Monday, according to local media.

"We can and will manage this integration" she said, although she conceded the country's refugee policy was "far from perfect." Voters are becoming less supportive of her accommodating stance and Merkel, a former favorite of the German electorate, has seen her popularity rating fall to a four-year low.