[ti:Germany¡¯s Merkel Calls for Ban on Full-Face Covers] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]¸ü¶àÌýÁ¦Çë·ÃÎÊ51VOA.COM [00:00.04]German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a ban [00:05.24]on full-face veils worn by some Muslim women. [00:11.80]Merkel announced her position Tuesday [00:14.92]at a conference of her Christian Democrat Union (CDU) [00:18.92]in the central German city of Essen. [00:22.16]Her comments were part of a speech she gave before her reelection as party leader. [00:30.80]"In communication between people, [00:34.08]which is of course essential to our living together, [00:38.68]we have to show our faces," Merkel said. [00:42.60]She said veils that fully cover the face should be banned "wherever legally possible." [00:53.12]Merkel's CDU party has previously discussed banning them [00:59.28]in schools, courts and other public buildings. [01:04.87]A small minority of Muslim women in Germany wear full-face veils. [01:12.12]In the past, Merkel has said she believes Muslims who completely cover their faces [01:19.48]have little chance of fully mixing into German society. [01:25.84]Legal experts said it is unclear whether a veil ban would violate Germany's constitution. [01:35.88]Three European nations - France, Belgium and the Netherlands [01:41.60]¨C already have bans on the face-covering veils. [01:46.32]Merkel recently announced she would seek a fourth term [01:51.00]as chancellor in elections expected to be held in fall 2017. [01:58.88]Her popularity has dropped since Germany decided to accept about one million refugees. [02:08.84]German public opinion studies show Merkel's CDU party is currently leading among voters. [02:18.36]But even if the CDU wins, [02:22.04]the Chancellor would likely have to form a coalition government with competing parties. [02:30.52]"The 2017 election will be more difficult than any election before, [02:37.24]at least since German reunification," Merkel said. [02:42.80]Merkel also faces strong opposition [02:46.88]from the anti-immigration Alternative for Deutschland (AFD) party. [02:52.56]The AFD has been critical of Muslim migrants entering Germany. [02:59.52]The group recently said Islam is not compatible with Germany's constitution. [03:09.12]I'm Anne Ball.