Austria's conservatives ready to join coalition talks with far-right

Austria's conservatives said they were ready to enter into negotiations with the far-right to form a new government, in a U-turn in policy after coalition talks with the Social Democrats and liberals broke down.

The Alpine EU member was plunged into political turmoil after conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer on Saturday broke off talks to form a centrist government without the far-right, the party that got the most votes in national elections in September.

In the wake of the collapse, Nehammer said he would step down as chancellor and party chairman of the People's Party (OeVP) in the coming days to enable an "orderly transition". He has held both posts since late 2021.

At a leadership meeting of the conservatives on Sunday, OeVP Secretary General Christian Stocker was chosen as interim party leader.

Stocker said he had been authorised by his party to enter into coalition talks with the far right if invited to do so.

"This country needs a stable government right now, and we can't keep losing time to election campaigns or elections that we don't have," Stocker said on Sunday.

Shortly before, Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen announced he would meet far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) leader Herbert Kickl on Monday to "discuss the new situation".

"Voices within the OeVP that rule out working with.... Kickl have become significantly quieter," Van der Bellen told reporters.

"That means a new path may be opening up that did not previously exist," he added.

"We have chaos, instead of stability"

In a press conference, Stocker welcomed the president's decision to hold talks with the far-right leader, whose party won almost 29 percent of the vote, but until now was unable to find partners to form a national government.

It was not immediately clear whether Van der Bellen would task the far right with trying to form a government.

Van der Bellen had initially tasked the conservatives with forming a stable government that respects the "foundations of our liberal democracy".

In the past, he has voiced reservations about Kickl, whose party currently polls at around 35 percent.

Nehammer said on Saturday that he had wanted to be "the force of the political centre in order to build a bulwark against the radicals".

Kickl in a statement called the parties involved in the coalition talks "losers", saying that "instead of stability, we have chaos" after three "wasted months".

The conservative People's Party came second in the November election, with 26 percent, while the centre-left Social Democrats (SPOe) gained 21 percent in September.

The OeVP has been part of government in the Alpine country of nine million since 1987.

It has governed several times with the FPOe as junior partners since 2000.