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Austria's president tasks far right to form govt

(ANSA-AFP) - VIENNA, JAN 6 - Austria's president tasked far-right leader Herbert Kickl with trying to form a government Monday, in a historic move after coalition talks that excluded the Freedom party (FPOe) collapsed. The FPOe topped the poll in September's national election for the first time ever, winning almost 29 percent of the vote, but until now had been unable to find partners to form a national government. After meeting Kickl for about an hour, President Alexander Van der Bellen said he had tasked the far-right leader with trying to form a government with the conservatives given the "new situation". Talks between the conservatives and Social Democrats and liberals fell apart over the weekend. "Mr Kickl believes he can find viable solutions... and he wants this responsibility," Van der Bellen said. (ANSA-AFP).