BERLIN (REUTERS) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday (Mar 13) her conservatives' poor showing in German state votes marked a difficult day for the party, but she vowed to keep pushing for a Europe-wide solution to the migrant crisis that dominated the elections.

"We have to say that yesterday was a difficult day for the CDU," Merkel told a news conference after a meeting of leaders from her conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).

"Without a doubt, we have come a long way towards solving the refugee issue, but we still don't have a sustainable solution. I am fully convinced that we need a European solution and that this solution needs time," she added.