Herbert Kickl, leader of Austria's right-wing Freedom Party, met with President Alexander Van der Bellen on Sunday, further fueling rumors that he will be asked to form a government.

President Alexander van der Bellen, a former Green Party member, met with Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl and officially tasked him with forming a government.

The party was in monthslong talks with the Social Democrats and Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservative People's Party. The collapse of the talks give hope to the far right FPÖ, which came first in last year's election.

Talks on forming a new three-party government in Austria have collapsed as the smallest of the prospective coalition partners pulled the plug on the negotiations.

Representatives of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democrats (SPÖ) met in the nation's chancellery for talks on Saturday after the failure of their discussions with a further party for a three-way coalition.

Austria headed on Sunday towards coalition talks led by the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) after efforts to form a centrist government without the FPO fell apart and prompted Chancellor Karl Nehammer to resign.

Karl Nehammer says he will resign in the coming days after talks on forming a government without the far right break up.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said Saturday he will resign in the coming days after talks on forming a new government failed a second time.