Merkel to host Austria's Kurz for talks on refugee policy
(dpa)
Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to host her Austrian counterpart, Sebastian Kurz, on Tuesday for talks about refugee policy.
Kurz is one of the most vocal critics of Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to hundreds of thousands of migrants in 2015 and has also slammed her for promoting an EU refugee quota system designed to ease pressure on Greece and Italy.
His visit comes after a dispute within Merkel's own parliamentary bloc, made up of her Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is pushing for border police to reject migrants who have already registered in another EU country.
Merkel fears that unilateral decisions at the German border would undermine EU solidarity and create problems with Austria, which would bear responsibility for the majority of rejected migrants.
On Wedesnday, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer - a CSU veteran - is set to meet with Kurz, a conservative now governing in coalition with the far-right Freedom Party.
His visit comes after a dispute within Merkel's own parliamentary bloc, made up of her Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), which is pushing for border police to reject migrants who have already registered in another EU country.
Merkel fears that unilateral decisions at the German border would undermine EU solidarity and create problems with Austria, which would bear responsibility for the majority of rejected migrants.
On Wedesnday, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer - a CSU veteran - is set to meet with Kurz, a conservative now governing in coalition with the far-right Freedom Party.