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And she said a lapse in security in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, which saw an outbreak of sex assaults in Cologne on New Year's Eve in 2015, is also the party and police's fault. In comments made during a speech, the German chancellor said the state rather than central government is responsible for a lack of integration of migrants in the region. And she said the area would continue to be "at the end of the queue" for support from the federal government if they don't vote for her party in September's national elections.

GETTY Angela Merkel addressed an audience earlier today

North Rhine-Westphalia is always at the end of the queue Angela Merkel

According to local reports she indirectly blamed the Social Democrats (SPD) Interior Minister Ralf Jäger of failing. The Chancellor also referred to the state of Saarland in her speech which voted to keep her Christian Democratic (CDU) in power last year after 18 years at the helm. Mrs Merkel said: "North Rhine-Westphalia is always at the end of the queue.

GETTY SPD German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, SPD chief whip Thomas Oppermann, and SPD chairman Martin

"The conditions here are worse by orders of magnitude than everywhere else. "North Rhine-Westphalia is largely missing what Saarland has achieved under unfavourable conditions." Mrs Merkel also took aim at the police and blasted them for their "very negative performance" during the New Year's mass sexual assaults. And in another furious swipe she also blamed authorities for the Christmas market attack in Berlin in December. Mrs Merkel insisted assassin Anis Amri was allowed to slip through the net, saying: "Why are there random police checks in other states, but not here?"

GETTY Silvio Berlusconi met Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel in Malta on Friday

After the attacks, which killed 12, it was reported Tunisian national Amri had continued living in the German capital even though he registered for asylum in North-Rhine Westphalia in April last year. He was able to travel around in Germany and live in Berlin without question. During her charm offensive speech in the 7,000 capacity Halle Münsterland in Münster, she repeatedly refered to the former CDU Minister President and temporary Education Minister Jürgen Rüttgers who she claimed was successful during his previous term in office.

Cologne: Sex Attacks and Robberies Tue, January 12, 2016 Thirty-one suspects, including 18 asylum seekers, are under investigation over offences including sexual assault and theft in Cologne on New Year's Eve. Far right protestors in Lepzig have rallied against refugees and German chancellor Angela Merkel. Play slideshow Reuters•Getty 1 of 22 Protestors in Lepzig rally after over 100 women were sexually assualted on New Year's Eve