Rome, Berlin in 'total opposition' to Vienna's border fence plan

Source: Deutsche Welle

Germany and Italy were united in the face of plans from Austria to erect a fence along its Italian border. Tensions rose after an Austrian presidential candidate compared Merkel and Renzi to migrant smugglers.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi decried on Thursday the "unjustified" proposal from Vienna to erect a fence at Austria's Alpine border with Italy to stem the flow of migrants into the country.

"We expressed our total opposition to, and, in some ways, our shock over the position that has been taken by our Austrian friends," said Renzi at a joint press conference with Merkel in Rome, calling the plan "mistaken" and "anachronistic."

"I will do all that is possible so that problems are solved in ways other than through border closures," the chancellor added.

The narrow Brenner Pass has become a point of contention between Italy and Austria, as Rome has long complained that parts of northern Europe were allowing southern European nations to bear the brunt of sheltering and taking care of asylum-seekers.

Read more: http://www.dw.com/en/rome-berlin-in-total-opposition-to-viennas-border-fence-plan/a-19238575