BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel says that disillusionment and discontent with the German government don't give people any "right to hatred," an allusion to the strong recent election performances by a far-right party in eastern Germany.

The far-right Alternative for Germany has finished second in state elections in Saxony, Brandenburg and Thuringia. It's particularly strong in the ex-communist east, where many people still feel disadvantaged 30 years after German reunification.

Merkel acknowledged in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine published Tuesday that some Germans people and regions haven't had it easy.

She added: "But one must also say clearly 30 years later: Even if you are not satisfied with public transport, medical care, government action overall or your own life, that doesn't lead to a right to hatred or disdain for other people or even violence."