Austria's Coalition Challenge: A Third Party Joins the Talks

Chancellor Karl Nehammer is seeking to form a three-party Austrian government coalition, including the liberal Neos party, without the far-right Freedom Party. Negotiations, currently in the sounding-out phase, face challenges from ideological differences and historical concerns about multi-party coalitions.

In Austria, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced his intention to include a third party in government coalition talks, dismissing an alliance with the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after their electoral victory.

Though FPO won 29% of the vote, they require a coalition partner for a parliamentary majority. President Alexander Van der Bellen has tasked Nehammer with forming a government, prompting talks with the Social Democrats (SPO) and now, the Neos.

This unprecedented coalition effort in modern Austrian history has drawn skepticism, amid warnings against forming a "coalition of losers" and highlighting potential challenges, such as bridging ideological differences in prolonged negotiations.

(With inputs from agencies.)