Austrian coalition talks collapse, chancellor to step down

VIENNA (Reuters) -Talks between the 2 greatest centrist events in Austria on forming a coalition authorities with out the far-right Freedom Celebration (FPO) have collapsed, Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated on Saturday, including that he would step down within the coming days.

The announcement got here a day after a 3rd occasion, the small, liberal Neos, threw the method into disarray by saying it was quitting the talks, blaming the opposite events for failing to take the daring and decisive motion it stated it had referred to as for.

“I’ll stand down as chancellor and as chief of the (conservative) Folks’s Celebration within the coming days and allow an orderly transition,” Nehammer stated in a video assertion on X, after coalition talks with the Social Democrats (SPO) continued with out the Neos on Saturday.

The eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO gained the final parliamentary election in September with 29% of the vote. It could have wanted a coalition companion to control and, since Nehammer dominated out governing with FPO chief Herbert Kickl, no potential companion was instantly out there.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, a former chief of the Greens, due to this fact tasked Nehammer with forming a authorities. Now that Nehammer is stepping down, the 2 probably choices are both that Kickl is tasked with forming a authorities or a snap election is named.

Assist for the FPO has solely grown for the reason that final election. It holds a lead of greater than 10 factors over the Folks’s Celebration (OVP) and the SPO, opinion polls present.

SPO chief Andreas Babler confirmed at a information convention that the talks had collapsed.

“We all know what threatens to occur now. An FPO-OVP authorities with a right-wing extremist chancellor that may endanger our democracy on many factors,” Babler stated.