Talks to form Austria's first far right-led govt fail

Austria's Freedom Party ended coalition talks with the conservatives on Wednesday to form the country's first far right-led government following disagreements over key posts and issues including migration.

The FPOe — which topped national polls for the first time ever in September — has been negotiating with the long-ruling conservative People's Party (OeVP) since early January.

But cracks have appeared since last week, with radical FPOe leader Herbert Kickl insisting his party wants to hold both the interior and finance ministries -- demands the OeVP has rejected.

"Despite intensive efforts, it had not been possible to reach an agreement," Kickl told reporters on Wednesday evening, adding that he was in favour of early snap elections.

The OeVP in turn blamed "Kickl's thirst for power and uncompromising attitude" for the talks' failure.

Had they been successful, the far right would have led the Alpine EU nation's government for the first time, though it has previously tasted power as a junior coalition partner.

Now that talks have collapsed, analysts say snap elections are one of several likely scenarios, with the FPOe polling well ahead of its rivals.

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen said that he would be holding talks with the parties in the coming days to "sound out" how to move forward.

Conservative-led efforts to rule without the FPOe following the September vote failed in early January and efforts to form a government hit a record length of time last week.

The previous record, set in the 1960s, was 129 days.

Earlier on Wednesday the OeVP said it wanted to have the interior brief, with asylum and migration issues moved into a separate new ministry.

But the FPOe rejected the OeVP's proposal as "fraught with numerous constitutional problems" and "doomed to failure".

Leaks over the weekend also showed numerous outstanding issues, including on EU policy and asylum seekers.

The OeVP wanted the FPOe -- which has slammed EU sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine -- to clarify its position on Moscow, insisting a future government must see Russia "as threat", according to a confidential document revealed by the media.

Kickl is known for his harsh attacks on his opponents, including calling President Van der Bellen a "senile mummy".

The FPOe leader has also caused controversy by calling himself the future "Volkskanzler" -- the people's chancellor -- as Hitler was termed in the 1930s though he has denied this is a Nazi reference.

In its demands aired publicly on social media, the FPOe -- led by Kickl since 2021 -- went "all out, showing little willingness to compromise", said political analyst Thomas Hofer. AFP