The head of Bavaria’s conservative party was re-elected on Saturday with his weakest score to date, seen as punishment after he berated ally German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her welcoming refugee policy.

For Merkel, Germany’s refugee inflow, predicted to succeed in a million individuals this yr, has grow to be the most important problem of her chancellorship as she marks 10 years in workplace this weekend.

“With this approach to reducing migrant numbers – as opposed to a unilaterally-set national ceiling – we will manage to act in everyone’s interest”, she told the congress.

Ms. Merkel spoke in Munich at the annual conference of the Christian Social Union, sister party to the chancellor’s own party.

Given the “mega-challenge” of “many, many refugees”, all emphasis should be put on a European and global solution, she said, adding “this lets us save lives and reduce the number of refugees”.

Horst Seehofer party leader of the Christian Social Union Party and Bavarian State Premier Credit Christof Stache

CSU leader Horst Seehofer, speaking immediately after Merkel, began by praising her leadership but swiftly turned to the refugee question and insisted that a cap was necessary. After complex Merkel on Fri.to cap the assortment of asylum seekers, Seehofer backed off, saying he wants the CDU-CSU alliance to last while making the Bavarian party bash a “bulwark” against the “radical right”.

Observers said a few CSU delegates wanted to punish Seehofer for his comments, though Bavarian leaders have for weeks railed against Merkel’s open-door policy.

“We are of the firm belief that, with this large, historical challenge of integrating refugees in our country, we will not have the approval of the people over the long term if we do not agree on a limit for the immigration of refugees”, he said to loud applause. But angst in the fiercely proud and traditional CSU about the refugee influx has sown discord between the allies.

Needless to say, Merkel has defined her decennial legacy as chancellor through moral finesse, calculated practicality and realpolitik.

Over the years, Greeks have burned her effigy and eastern nations have blamed her for the flood of migrants, but Germany’s economic dominance combined with the weakness of Merkel’s counterparts have left her without rivals for the nickname “Queen of Europe”. In April, 75 percent of Germans thought she was doing a good job.