German conservatives agree on Merkel as chancellor candidate for Sept election

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a meeting with Bavarian state premier and CSU leader Horst Seehofer to discuss their differences over refugee policy in Munich, southern Germany February 6, 2017. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

MUNICH (Reuters) - Germany's conservative parties agreed on Monday to nominate Angela Merkel as their candidate for chancellor in a Sept. 24 election despite their long feud over how to tackle the migrant influx, participants at a conservative meeting told Reuters. The Christian Social Union (CSU) - the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) - has long criticised Merkel for allowing more than a million refugees into Germany over the last two years. The CDU and CSU are meeting in Munich to discuss how to defeat a resurgent Social Democratic Party (SPD) in September's federal election. Merkel and CSU leader Horst Seehofer are due to present their joint election strategy later on Monday. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Michelle Martin; Editing by Michael Nienaber)