Austrian chancellor sees long and rocky road ahead in coalition talks

Austrian Chancellor and head of the People's Party (OeVP) Karl Nehammer gives a press statement after starting government negotiations in Vienna, Austria, October 25, 2024. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl

VIENNA (Reuters) - The road ahead in coalition talks between Austria's two main centrist parties will be long and most likely "very rocky" at times, conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer, who is leading the talks, said on Friday as they began.

The far-right Freedom Party (FPO) won last month's parliamentary election for the first time in its history but, with just 29% of the vote, it would have needed a coalition partner to command a majority in parliament and form a government, and no other party said it wanted to govern with it.