New Austrian leader won't rule out ties to far-right

Designated Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern of the Social Democratic Party (SPOe) speaks during a news conference in Vienna, Austria, May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's new chancellor said on Tuesday his Social Democrats (SPO) prefer to keep governing with conservatives and will not sell their souls just to remain in power, but he did not rule out joining forces one day with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO).

"Let's cross that river when we come to it," Christian Kern told his first news conference since being named chancellor last week, saying the SPO's long-standing ban on governing with the anti-Islam, eurosceptic FPO at national level was "obsolete".