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End of MERKEL: German leader’s power and influence CRUMBLES as EU leaders opt for PUTIN

ANGELA Merkel is losing her grip on power as European leaders openly side with Vladimir Putin and the German population turns against her open door migration policy.

PUBLISHED: 09:12, Wed, Jan 4, 2017 | UPDATED: 11:56, Wed, Jan 4, 2017

The three term Chancellor was desperate to impose year-long sanctions against Russia amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but her supposed European allies have shunned her in favour of the Russian strongman.

The EU’s top brass instead decided to impose just six months worth of sanctions against Mr Putin, who openly land-grabbed Crimea from Ukraine – a country desperate to join the European Union (EU).

Angela Merkel Vladimir Putin politics European Union GETTY

Angela Merkel is losing her grip on power as Putin infiltrates EU

Merkel’s rating in the opinion polls is also at a low ebb, with the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party soaring in popularity to 15 per cent in the wake of the Berlin Christmas markets terror attack as the public turn against her controversial mass migration policy.

According to the latest polls, support for the coalition between her Christian Democratic Union party and the Christian Social Union party has plummeted to just 32 per cent so far in 2017.

To make matters worse, the result of the French elections is likely to weaken Merkel’s standing on the Continent even more.

Marine le Pen openly wants France to leave the ailing Union, and the other candidate, Francois Fillon, will completely undermine the Chancellor when it comes to Russia as he opposes any form of strict sanctions.

Mr Fillon said: “Is it intelligent, with a sanctions policy that has done absolutely nothing but ruin French farmers, to push Russia both into diplomatic mistakes and at the same time toward Asia?

“I think this policy has failed.”

Angela Merkel Vladimir Putin politics European Union GETTY

Angela Merkel is losing popularity in Germany and abroad

Embarrassingly, Merkel is now being ridiculed on the world stage too as she was forced to pull out of attending the World Economic Forum’s Davos summit for fear of receiving a hounding over her floundering leadership.

The theme of the summit is “Responsive and Responsible Leadership” and the talk is expected to be dominated by public resentment toward the political establishment and globalisation.

It also coincides with Donald Trump’s inauguration as American President and the right-wing critic of Merkel is likely to be a frequent topic of conversation.

Mr Trump’s supposed close relationship with Mr Putin, coupled with new found support for the Kremlin chief from Germany’s traditional European allies, could leave Merkel isolated.

Jochen Bittner, the political editor for the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit, said: “Germany is holding general elections next autumn, and with politicians sympathetic to Moscow on the rise, she may well be running for her fourth term as the sole European leader willing to stand up to a newly assertive Russia.”