Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said on Sunday he would meet far-right Freedom Party (FPO) leader Herbert Kickl on Monday after attempts to form a coalition without the FPO fell apart and conservative Chancellor Karl Nehammer stepped down.
"Voices within the (conservative) People's Party that rule out cooperation with an FPO under Herbert Kickl have become much quieter. This in turn means that a new path may be opening up that did not exist before," Van der Bellen said in an address to the nation.