The far-right Freedom Party was blocked in Austria as on Tuesday Austria's president asked incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer to form a new government. All other parties refused to work with the leader of the Freedom Party after they won a national election for the first time last month.

Austria’s president has tasked the incumbent chancellor with forming a new government after all other parties refused to work with the leader of the far-right Freedom Party.

Austria’s president asked the ruling conservative party to start coalition negotiation with the Social Democrats, snubbing the most popular far-right Freedom Party after it failed to find a potential partner.

By Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen on Tuesday tasked Chancellor Karl Nehammer, head of the conservative People's Party (OVP), with forming a ruling coalition even though the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) won last month's general election.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has given incumbent Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the conservative ÖVP the mandate to form a government following September's elections. Nehammer should immediately start coalition negotiations with the social democratic SPÖ,