"I have good personal relations with her, but political [relations] remain tense," Faymann said.
The politician argued that Germany uses Austria as a "buffer zone" in the migration crisis. According to Faymann, such approach to his country is "very unfair".
Earlier, Austrian authorities have announced their country will only accept 37,500 visa applications per year, a rate of only around 80 per day. The step has contradicted the open-door policy of Angela Merkel who refused to place an upward cap on the number of refugees Germany is willing to accept.
"Merkel's policy may lead to a situation when Austria will have to take the burden. We do not want to be a buffer zone for Germany. Such political straightforwardness might be offending, but we remain consistent on this issue," Faymann said.
Merkel has been lately criticized over her refugee policy, which has drawn anger from within her own party, Germany as a whole and within the European Union. The growing influx of migrants started to raise anxiety and concerns among the local population. In 2015 alone, over 1.1 million refugees entered Germany and their number continues to grow.
