In this week’s Inside Austria, we look at why the FPÖ-ÖVP coalition talks collapsed, what alternative government options are on the table, and how Austria’s political crisis is affecting the budget. Plus,

Coalition talks between the FPÖ and ÖVP, which received a mandate to attempt to form a government last month, have gound to a halt. The two parties' leaders are set to meet with President Alexander van der Bellen.

The party’s inability to forge a coalition of the centre now threatens not only its future but also Austria’s democratic fabric. A robust, democratic centre-right is vital to political stability. If the ÖVP cannot recover, who will represent Austria’s conservative democratic voters? And where will they turn?