Head of People’s Party (OeVP) Christian Stocker, Head of Social Democrats Andreas Babler and head of NEOS party Beate Meinl-Reisinger react on their way to meet Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen at Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl

Austria's conservative People's Party (OVP) and Social Democrats (SPO) said on Friday they had widened their talks aimed at forming a coalition government to include the small, liberal Neos party so as to have a solid majority in parliament.

Austrian parties looking to forge a centrist alliance of conservative, social democrat and liberal groups are making progress toward agreeing on a government program.

FILE PHOTO: Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen gives a press statement after coalition talks between the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and People's Party (OeVP) ended in Vienna, Austria, February 12, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo

The three biggest centrist parties in Austria's parliament on signalled on Saturday they were on the verge of agreeing a coalition government, almost five months after an election won by the far-right Freedom Party (FPO),

For Austria, the political situation is unprecedented, as coalition formation talks have never taken this long. View on euronews

Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen gives a press statement after coalition talks between the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and People's Party (OeVP) ended in Vienna, Austria, February 12, 2025.

Three Austrian parties have agreed to further talks on forming a coalition government without the far right after months of arduous negotiations across the political spectrum. The leaders of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP),