Austrians have returned to the polls to decide the presidential race between a right-wing populist and his left-leaning rival. The vote is being watched, as a far-right win could boost populist movements in Europe.
Image: Imago/Eibner
Advertisement
Voters in Austria headed to the polls on Sunday morning at the end of a bitterly fought campaign between Greens-backed Alexander Van der Bellen (pictured above left) and the anti-migrant Freedom Party (FPÖ) candidate Norbert Hofer (pictured above right).
Most polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0600 UTC) and will close by 5 p.m. on Sunday. Results are expected to arrive later in the evening, but the winner may not be known until absentee ballots are tallied on Monday.
Van der Bellen, a former Greens party leader, narrowly won the first run-off election in May when he received 50.3 percent of the vote - less than 31,000 votes ahead of Hofer.
Austria decides - The populist challenge
12:03
This browser does not support the video element.
The Freedom Party successfully appealed the result by presenting evidence of ballot counting irregularities, winning a repetition of the election.
Voter surveys indicate Sunday's race will also be close. With 20 percent fewer postal votes this time around, Hofer might have a slight advantage.
Although the presidency in Austria is a mostly ceremonial role, the results are sure to reverberate across Europe, as a win by Hofer could boost other populist, euroskeptic movements in next year's elections in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
It would also make Hofer the first far-right elected president since World War II.
Hofer's FPÖ party has been leading opinion polls for months and is set to win the next parliamentary election, according to voter surveys.
End of a bitter campaign
Van der Bellen, a 72-year-old economics professor, is running as an independent although he has the backing of the Greens party. He is a pro-European liberal who aspires to a fence-free "United States of Europe" and is a supporter of gay marriage. He has garnered the support of young Austrians and celebrities, calling for the country to be guided by "reasons not extremes."
Hofer, a 45-year-old engineer and gun-enthusiast, has stoked and benefited from a growing sense of unease in Austria over globalization and multiculturalism. In May, he told a young Austrian Muslim on a talk show that Islam "has no place in Austria" as it threatens Austria's Judeo-Christian values.
He has also said he wants a "Europe of fatherlands" or a less "centralized" form of the EU. Hofer has also said he would call for a referendum on Austria's EU membership if Turkey joins the bloc or if Brussels takes too much power from member states.
Despite its largely ceremonial role, the Austrian constitution grants the president several previously unused powers such as dismissing the government.
Austria's vote also comes on the same day as a high-stakes referendum in Italy which will decide the political fate of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. It could also renew chaos in a bloc already rattled by the United Kingdom's June vote to leave the EU and Donald Trump's surprising electoral win in the US.
rs/jlw (AP, dpa)
A look at Austria's never-ending election
Austrians hope to finally find a new president this Sunday. After irregularities in ballot counting, faulty envelopes and the country's longest-ever campaign, Austria's presidential race has turned into a marathon.
Image: Reuters/L. Foeger
How it all started
The presidency, which is a largely ceremonial post, has always gone to the ruling Social Democrats and the conservative People's Party since 1945. This year however, voters discharged the coalition's candidates and instead voted for Norbert Hofer of the anti-immigration Freedom Party. The only person blocking his path was ex-Green party chief Alexander Van der Bellen.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Wieser
Hofer's friendly face
Described as the Freedom Party's "friendly face," the self-proclaimed political gladiator pushes tricky subjects like anti-immigration with a winning smile instead of the provocative rhetoric of party chief Heinz-Christian Strache.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Bruna
Left-wing independent candidate Van der Bellen
Born in Vienna to an aristocratic Russian father and an Estonian mother who fled Stalinism, Van der Bellen joined the Greens in the 1990s and led them to achieve record results as party leader for a decade. In a bid to attract young voters, he tried to be Austria's - that is to say, Österreich's Obama. Or rather, "Öbama."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Bruna
Bickering opponents
Van der Bellen's trademark professorial manner has often riled Hofer.
"I'm talking about Europe: E-U-R-O-P-E. Ever heard of it?" Van der Bellen jibed his rival during a TV encounter earlier this year. "My God, so schoolmasterly, Herr Doctor Van der Bellen," a furious Hofer snapped back.
Image: Reuters/L. Foeger
Austrian glitterati
Van der Bellen's huge backing from celebrities and the country's top politicians has left his rival unimpressed. "You have the glitterati, but I have the people," the far-right politician observed.
Image: picture alliance/APA/G. Hochmuth
May 22: Election day
In the evening Hofer and Strache cheer. Hofer has just won the tense run-off, projections showed. But over the next 24 hours, his hopes will be crushed.
Image: picture-alliance/A. Halada
Liberal Vienna acclaims Van der Bellen's victory
The postal votes, traditionally tallied the day after the polling station count, gradually swung the outcome in Van der Bellen's favor. In the end, the 72-year-old economics professor beat his rival by just over 31,000 votes. "I want to be a nonpartisan president for all the people in Austria," the new president-elect vowed.
Image: picture-alliance/G. Hochmuth
Re-run for early October
Hofer's party, the FPÖ, filed a legal challenge in June against the result over alleged procedural problems discovered in numerous constituencies. Reported breaches included postal votes being opened too early, as well as "non-Austrians" casting ballots. Siding with the FPÖ, the Constitutional Court annulled the May result and ordered a re-run for early October.
Image: DW/M. Hengster
One more time
Van der Bellen took the news in stride, marching through crowds of supporters to Daft Punk's tune "One more time."
Image: Getty images/AFP/R. Schlager
Faulty envelopes lead to further delay
The election might not have been delayed had the voter Beate Rhomberg not brought the problem of faulty envelopes to the attention of her local paper. The paper's subsequent report led to a storm of complaints over voters' envelopes coming unstuck. Van der Bellen suggested that the glue was a metaphor for bigger problems in Austria, saying "What we need most of all is for us to stick together."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Hochmuth
Öxit, Austria's EU exit on the table
Whereas Van der Bellen is against Austria's exit from the EU, Hofer's Freedom Party has been campaigning against further European integration since 2005. The party reacted positively to Britain's Brexit and proclaimed Austria should start a renegotiation over the country’s relationship with the EU.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/C.Bruna
Will the vote be final this time?
To be on the safe side, parliament has scheduled the swearing-in for late January to give authorities sufficient time to investigate any potential issues.
