Austria's Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will step down as head of the government and chairman of the conservative People’s Party after failing to form a new coalition following September elections.
The move might lead to a snap election or the conservatives might now try to negotiate with the far-right party that won the most votes in September.
So far, all parties have refused to consider forming a government with the pro-Russia, anti-migration Freedom Party (FP) and its leader, Herbert Kickl.
Efforts to form a centrist coalition had narrowed down to talks between the conservatives and the Social Democrats after the liberal Neos abandoned talks earlier in the week.
And then on Saturday, Mr Nehammer announced on X: “An agreement has not been possible on significant core issues. I will step down as chancellor as well as leader of the People’s Party in the following days, and facilitate an orderly handover.”
The FP won the parliamentary election held in September with 29 per cent of the vote, but that was not enough to rule alone in Austria’s system that routinely governs through coalitions.
It would have needed a coalition partner to govern and Mr Nehammer, and the other main parties, ruled out governing with the FP.
The conservative People's Party came second with 26.3 per cent, while the centre-left Social Democrats won 21.1 per cent.
Social Democrat leader Andreas Babler said he feared their failure would now give the Freedom Party a chance to become a coalition partner.
“We know what threatens to happen now. [A Freedom Party-People Party] government with a right-wing extremist chancellor that will endanger our democracy on many points,” Andreas Babler, the leader of the Social Democrats, said.
He praised Mr Nehammer’s conduct during negotiations, but criticised the chancellor’s party.
The aim had been to sideline the Freedom Party that topped the vote. Since the election, the FP has also gained support with opinion polls showing a 10-point lead over the People's Party and the Social Democrats.
In its election programme, titled Fortress Austria, the FP called for “remigration of uninvited foreigners”, for achieving a more “homogeneous” nation by tightly controlling borders and suspending the right to asylum seeker status with an “emergency law”.
The FP also called for an end to sanctions against Russia and is highly critical of western military aid to Ukraine.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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