Far-right Austrian party invites centre right to be junior partner

The leader of Austria's anti-immigration, pro-Kremlin Freedom party has said he intends to invite a mainstream centre-right party for coalition talks, potentially paving the way for the far right to rule the country for the first time since the second world war.

- Kate Connolly

Herbert Kickl, whose party won the most votes in September's election, was tasked with building a ruling coalition by the Austrian president on Monday after the collapse of talks between mainstream parties aimed at forming an alliance that would have blocked the Freedom party (FPÖ).

The negotiations between the conservative People's party (ÖVP) and the centre-left Social Democrats went on for months but failed over differences over how to inject new life into Austria's ailing economy and how to manage public finances.

As a result, Karl Nehammer, the chancellor, who had vowed never to become junior partner to the FPÖ with Kickl as head of government, announced his intention to resign.