German multiculturalism has 'failed,' Merkel says

By the CNN Wire Staff

October 18, 2010 -- Updated 1013 GMT (1813 HKT)

Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses a meeting on Saturday during which she said multiculturalism had failed in Germany.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Chancellor: The approach of saying "let's coexist and enjoy each other ... has failed"
• Immigrants must learn German and be educated in Germany, she told CNN last month
• Germany is about 5 percent Muslim, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates

RELATED TOPICS

• Angela Merkel
• Germany

Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- Multiculturalism in Germany has "absolutely failed," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told her party's youth wing at a conference Saturday.
"The approach of saying, 'Well, let's just go for a multicultural society, let's coexist and enjoy each other,' this very approach has failed, absolutely failed," she said in a speech.
The remarks echo a comment she made to CNN last month in response to a question from Becky Anderson about Germany's Muslim population.
"We've all understood now that immigrants are a part of our country, (but) they have to speak our language, they have receive an education here," Merkel told CNN's "Connect the World" program September 27.

Germany's population is about 5 percent Muslim, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimated last year. Its roughly 4 million Muslims make up the largest Muslim population in western Europe.