Germany says 18 asylum seekers involved in Cologne violence (of 31 currently ID'd)

[DFW]

4. She has proved herself the wiliest politician in Germany for over a decade

I wouldn't count her out yet. Besides, if she steps down in favor of Ursula von der Leyen, you will just see more of the same in a younger face. Von der Leyen is one very smart woman in her own right.

Merkel did badly miscalculate with the refugees, but she still has time for damage control before the elections. It depends on how her administration reacts to this. If she acts forcefully and immediately acts to expel the bad apples after burning their precious German permits, she will gain respect for dealing with her mistakes. If she allows them to stay with a slap on the wrist, every one of them with the slightest inclination to engage in this sort of activity will know that they can do so with impunity, and her time as chancellor will indeed end with this term.