VIENNA (Reuters) - Talks to form a coalition government led by Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO) will begin on Friday, the party said on Thursday, as thousands protested in Vienna against the prospect of the country's first FPO-led government.

Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which won September's parliamentary election with 29% of the vote, is due to start coalition talks with the conservative People's Party (OVP) this week aimed at creating the country's first FPO-led government.

Austria's far right, tasked for the first time with trying to form a government, warned on Tuesday of a "difficult" mission as relations with the conservatives are tense.

President Alexander Van der Bellen’s office said in a statement that the head of state will formally task Schallenberg with “continuing the management of the chancellery and leading the interim govern

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will serve as the country's interim leader while the far-right Freedom Party attempts to put together a new coalition government, the president's office said Wednesday.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg will be named caretaker chancellor later on Wednesday, Austrian media reported, taking over from Karl Nehammer, who quit when centrist coalition talks collapsed over the weekend.