Austrian far right says coalition talks have collapsed

Austrian far-right Freedom Party (FPO) leader Herbert Kickl arrives to the presidential office in Hofburg Palace to meet the Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen in Vienna, Austria, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner

VIENNA (Reuters) - Talks to form Austria's first coalition government led by the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) have collapsed, the FPO said on Wednesday.

FPO leader Herbert Kickl "has informed President Alexander Van der Bellen that the coalition talks with the OVP have failed", the FPO said in a statement.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by David Goodman)