Austrian coalition talks collapse, chancellor to step down By Reuters

VIENNA (Reuters) – Talks between Austria’s two major centrist parties to form a coalition government without the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) have broken down, Chancellor Karl Nehamer said on Saturday, adding that he would step down in the coming days.

The announcement came a day after a third party, the small, liberal Neos, threw the process into disarray by saying it was pulling out of the talks, accusing the other parties of failing to take the bold and decisive action it called for.

“In the coming days I will step down as chancellor and leader of the (conservative) People’s Party and allow an orderly transition,” Nehammer said in a video statement from X after Social Democrats (SPO) coalition talks continued without a party. Neos on Saturday.

The Eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO won the last parliamentary elections held in September with 29% of the vote. A coalition partner would be needed to govern, and since Nehamer ruled out governing with FPO chief Herbert Kickle, no potential partner was immediately available.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, the former leader of the Greens, therefore tasked Nehamer with forming a government. Now that Nehamer is stepping down, the two most likely options are either Kickley is tasked with forming a government or calling a snap election.

Support for the FPO has only increased since the last election, with a lead of more than 10 points over the People’s Party (OVP) and the SPO, polls show.

The head of the SPO, Andreas Babler, confirmed at the press conference that the negotiations failed.

“We know what threatens to happen now. An FPO-OVP government with an extreme right-wing chancellor that will threaten our democracy on many points,” Babler said.