Merkel, who was interviewed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour in Berlin, said in excerpts released Tuesday that Germany has to face up to populists who are finding mainstream support and recount "what history has brought."
Referring to populist parties across the continent that were boosted by European Parliament elections on the weekend that, Merkel said, "in Germany, obviously, they always have to be seen in a certain context, in the context of our past, which means we have to be that much more vigilant than others."
Merkel, speaking Monday, also condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in the country, saying Germany "always had a certain number of anti-Semites among us, unfortunately."