ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The usually stoic chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, gave a somewhat emotional speech today. She took responsibility for her party's loss yesterday in state elections in Berlin. Voters deserted the Christian Democrats in favor of a new anti-immigrant nationalist newcomer. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Berlin.</s>SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats came in second in the vote count but just barely. It wasn't enough for them to keep governing here with the Social Democrats, who also had a poor showing, despite coming in first.</s>ANGELA MERKEL: (Foreign language spoken).</s>SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: The chancellor called the outcome bitter. She blamed herself for this and other recent protest votes over her refugee policy.</s>ANGELA MERKEL: (Foreign language spoken).</s>SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: But she said anyone who doesn't want to take in foreigners, especially Muslims, can forget it. Her defiance is unlikely to win back supporters who are turning to the anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim Alternative for Germany or AfD. AfD now has seats in 10 of Germany's 16 state legislatures, despite allegations of anti-Semitism and ties to far-right extremists against some party officials. Georg Pazderski, who is AfD's leader here, lauded his party's success as a win for German democracy.</s>GEORG PAZDERSKI: (Foreign language spoken).</s>SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON, BYLINE: He said, "clearly we speak the language of regular German citizens and workers." It's a connection AfD leaders hope will land them in the next German parliament. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Berlin.
Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered another setback in regional elections in Germany with the worst showing ever by her Christian Democratic party in Berlin.