Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will step down as head of the government and chairman of the conservative People’s Party after failing to form a new coalition following September elections.
The move might lead to a snap election or the conservatives might now try to negotiate with the far-right party that won the most votes in September.
So far, all parties have refused to consider forming a government with the pro-Russia, anti-migration Freedom Party (FP) and its leader, Herbert Kickl.
Efforts to form a centrist coalition had narrowed down to talks between the conservatives and the Social Democrats after the liberal Neos abandoned talks earlier in the week.
And then on Saturday, Mr Nehammer announced on X: “An agreement has not been possible on significant core issues. I will step down as chancellor as well as leader of the People’s Party in the following days, and facilitate an orderly handover.”
The FP won the parliamentary election held in September with 29 per cent of the vote, but that was not enough to rule alone in Austria’s system that routinely governs through coalitions.
It would have needed a coalition partner to govern and Mr Nehammer, and the other main parties, ruled out governing with the FP.
The conservative People's Party came second with 26.3 per cent, while the centre-left Social Democrats won 21.1 per cent.
Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler said he feared their failure would now give the Freedom Party a chance to become a coalition partner.
“We know what threatens to happen now. [A Freedom Party-People Party] government with a right-wing extremist chancellor that will endanger our democracy on many points,” Andreas Babler, the leader of the Social Democrats, said.
He praised Mr Nehammer’s conduct during negotiations, but criticised the chancellor’s party.
The aim had been to sideline the Freedom Party that topped the vote. Since the election, the FP has also gained support with opinion polls showing a 10-point lead over the People's Party and the Social Democrats.
In its election programme, titled Fortress Austria, the FP called for “remigration of uninvited foreigners”, for achieving a more “homogeneous” nation by tightly controlling borders and suspending the right to asylum seeker status with an “emergency law”.
The FP also called for an end to sanctions against Russia and is highly critical of western military aid to Ukraine.
UAE%20ILT20
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs: 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor
Price, base / as tested Dh220,000 / Dh320,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission 10-speed automatic
Power 421hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 678Nm @ 3,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.1L / 100km
Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
Company%20Profile
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
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Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
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