Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called for stronger borders for the European Union to solve the ongoing migrant crisis at a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“I am convinced that the solution to the migration issue lies in proper external border management and greater local assistance,” Kurz told Merkel on Wednesday.

“We need a European Union that focuses more on the big issues and withdraws when it comes to small issues on which nations or regions can better decide for themselves.”

Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s borders to millions of economic migrants from the Middle East and North Africa has sparked a debate about immigration, national sovereignty, terrorism, and border security and has resulted in a populist backlash sweeping through Europe.

31-year-old Kurz, a member of Austria’s conservative People’s Party (OVP), is the world’s youngest national leader after being elected Austria’s Chancellor.

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