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.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
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Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
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How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
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Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
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GAC GS8 Specs
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What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
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Multiply Titans 81-2 in 12.1 overs
(Tony de Zorzi, 34)
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(Shawn von Borg 4-15, Alfred Mothoa 2-11, Tshepo Moreki 2-16).
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Directed by:Tom Beard
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