Austria moves towards centrist coalition deal after far right fails

FILE PHOTO: Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen gives a press statement after coalition talks between the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and People's Party (OeVP) ended in Vienna, Austria, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo

VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's two biggest centrist parties are moving quickly towards a coalition deal without the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after it failed to form a government, party officials said on Thursday.

It would be third time lucky if the conservative People's Party (OVP) and Social Democrats (SPO) managed to strike a deal with some degree of support from smaller centrist parties, since a first effort led by the OVP failed in January, then an attempt led by the eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO collapsed last week.