Austrian far-right leader Herbert Kickl says his talks on forming a coalition government with a conservative party have collapsed.

The plan by the far-right Freedom Party to run Austria was halted by a disagreement over who would lead the all-important Interior Ministry.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) said on Wednesday that talks on forming a governing coalition with the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) have collapsed. The talks have been on shaky ground for days as the two parties bickered over a range of issues,

Talks led by Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) on forming a governing coalition appeared close to collapse on Wednesday as the FPO and conservative People's Party (OVP) rejected each other's positions and traded blame for the impasse.

Talks to form Austria's first far right-led government stalled on Wednesday, with the negotiating parties airing disagreements over key posts.

The country’s President gave Kickl a mandate to try to form a new government on Jan. 6 after other parties’ efforts to put together a governing alliance without his Freedom Party failed