Angela Merkel is no longer the indisputable “Mutti” (mom) of German politics, with the refugee crisis taking its toll on her personal approval ratings and party votes. That is bad news barely a year ahead of legislative elections.

Merkel wins the debate, loses the vote

In July Chancellor Merkel saw her approval ratings sink by 12%. The DeutschlandTrend shows her end of July approval rating stands at 47%, down from 59% earlier this month. That is still a far cry from the historical highs of...