Austrian coalition talks break down... 'Nazi Descendants' likely to take power

Negotiations to form a coalition government excluding far-right parties in Austria have collapsed, making the far-right "Austrian Liberal Party" likely to take power.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said on May 5 local time that he would soon meet Liberal Party leader Herbert Kickl to ask him to form a government.

Earlier, the conservative Austrian National Party and the center-left Social Democrats negotiated a coalition but failed to reach an agreement, and Prime Minister Karl Nehammer offered to resign.

The Liberals won the top party with 29% of the vote in last September's general election, but failed to participate in the formation of a government because other parties refused to form solidarity with far-right parties.

Acting People's Party leader Christian Stoker, who once criticized Kickl as a "security risk," said he was willing to join the coalition if asked by the Liberals.

However, Mr. van der Bellen said Mr. Nehammer would continue to serve as prime minister until a new prime minister was named.

The Liberal Party was founded in 1956 by Nazi electors and has recently expanded its support by opposing Ukraine aid and anti-immigration policies.

Mr. Kickl also caused controversy by referring to himself by the term 'people's prime minister', a term coined by Hitler.