Austrian chancellor Carl Nehammer announced his resignation on Saturday, because the talks between his conservative party and the Social Democrats on the formation of a new government failed.
Nehammer said in a video message that he will resign as leader of the Austrian People's Party (OVP), reports Radio Free Europe.
He announced his resignation just a few hours after OVP and SPO started talks on forming a government, following the withdrawal of the liberal NEOS party from weeks of coalition negotiations with those two parties.
Nehammer said that "it is evident that the destructive forces within the SPO have prevailed", confirming the end of the talks.
"We've tried everything so far." An agreement on the key points is not possible, so it makes no sense for Austria's positive future," Nehammer said.
Nehamer also said that the OVP will not agree to any program that is not good for the economy.
He also emphasized that he is not yet ready to negotiate a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), led by Herbert Kickl.
"It is my deep belief that radicals offer no solution to any problem," Nehammer said.
However, the business-friendly wing of the OVP favors the coalition with the FPO, which won the September parliamentary elections, over the coalition with the SPO.
Source: FoNet
