Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, has taken the first steps towards forming a new government on Sunday, by aiming to unite the conservative wings of her party which is bitterly divided over refugee policy.

Mrs Merkel and her Christian Democrats (CDU) met for private talks with leaders of their Bavarian conservative sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), to hammer out key policy differences, including on the hotly contested subject of immigration.

In an opening salvo on Sunday, the CSU published a 10-point list of demands, including a refugee "upper limit" on migration numbers and a commitment to "healthy patriotism" according to the text published in Bild, Germany’s mass-circulation tabloid.

Failure to reach a deal between the CDU and the CSU will leave Mrs Merkel facing the prospect of forming a minority government or calling fresh elections following her worse-than-expected performance in last month’s federal elections.