KARLSRUHE, Germany Dec 15 The leader of
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Bavarian allies hailed her “first
class” leadership on Tuesday, seeking to draw a line under a
coalition dispute that blew up last month when he publicly
denounced her handling of Germany’s refugee crisis.

Horst Seehofer inflamed tensions with Merkel at his party’s
congress in November when he criticised her refusal to cap the
migrant influx into Germany, winning cheers from his Christian
Social Union (CSU) as she stood uncomfortably on the stage.

The episode left Merkel reeling, but she turned the
political momentum back in her favour on Monday with a rousing
speech to her Christian Democrats (CDU) that won her an
eight-minute standing ovation and plaudits from media
commentators.

Together the CDU and CSU form “The Union” – a conservative
alliance. Addressing the CDU congress in Karlsruhe on Tuesday,
Seehofer welcomed Merkel’s pledge a day earlier to reduce the
influx of migrants, and struck a conciliatory tone.

“We have an excellent chancellor,” he said, to rapturous
applause from the CDU party faithful in a 51-minute speech
peppered with warmly received quips and asides.

“Our chancellor does a first class job of representing us in
the world,” Seehofer added. “She is also highly regarded in
Germany – and I stress also in Bavaria.”

Germany expects around a million migrants to arrive this
year, many of them refugees fleeing to Europe from war and
deprivation in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and attracted
by Europe’s wealthiest economy and its stability and security.

Most arrive in Bavaria and Seehofer has faced intense
pressure from municipalities in the conservative, southern state
to press the federal government to stem the flow of arrivals.

“Angela, you know this, we support you in all areas,”
Seehofer said of her efforts on migrants. While praising
Merkel’s leadership, he cautioned: “There is no country in the
world that can take in refugees without limits – and Germany
won’t manage this in the long-run either.”

CDU delegates hope Merkel’s dynamic speech on Monday and
Seehofer’s more emollient tone will shore up popular support for
their alliance. A poll by Emnid on Sunday put their support at
37 percent, down from 43 percent in mid-August.

“Our members, our supporters expect that we solve this major
issue sensibly and wisely, that we do so together as CDU and
CSU,” Seehofer said of the refugee crisis, before leaving the
stage in conversation with Merkel.

(Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Mark Heinrich)