Austrian election: Far-right leader concedes defeat

Jewish European leaders have welcomed Alexander Van der Bellen’s Austrian presidential election over right-wing populist Norbert Hofer. The 72-year-old retired economist had run a campaign which gave equal weight to a message of pan-European cooperation and the notion of Heimat, meaning “homeland” or “spiritual home” in a broader sense.

The arrival of the Red Army in 1945 forced the family to escape to the southern state of Tyrol, where Van der Bellen spent an “idyllic childhood”.

His defeat will also see European Union leaders breathe a sigh of relief in the wake of the anti-establishment tide sweeping many countries following Brexit and Donald Trump’s shock election victory in the US. “Brexit intensified the debate about Europe and allowed our candidate to become a unifying figure”, he said.

The first exit poll indicated a 3.6 percent increase in support for Van der Bellen, who narrowly won the original runoff election in May – less than 31,000 votes ahead of Hofer.

Asserting that all other political forces in Austria had joined together to prevent Mr Hofer’s victory, party leader Heinz-Christian Strache depicted the vote as a contest “between David and Goliath. which David nearly won”.

Greens/EFA President Philippe Lamberts has reacted to the victory of Alexander Van der Bellen in the Austrian presidential election.

“It’s clear that nothing will change in Austria because with Van der Bellen the two main parties can continue without being challenged”, FPOe lawmaker Johannes Huebner, 60, told AFP.

Still, Van der Bellen’s victory presages new possible divisions. “Let us not play with Oexit”, Van der Bellen said in their last televised debate. He stayed true to his unpolished self.

For his part, Hofer struck a more conciliatory tone as he showed up to vote on Sunday. “There is such a thing as a radical centre”.

Austria’s far-Right Freedom Party has blamed Nigel Farage for its defeat in elections on Sunday.

He told his closing rally on Friday that Mr Hofer was trying to “demolish the house of Austria” instead of trying to fix it with “reason”.

Van der Bellen is running against right-wing populist Norbert Hofer. And the political churning is likely to continue, at least till France, the Netherlands and Germany go to the polls in 2017.

“People found this (ambiguity) irritating”, said Zweytick.

Other populist politicians in the European Union who want their countries out of the bloc were supportive of Mr Hofer ahead of elections they will face next year.

And while Hofer may strike a more moderate tone, his party does not. “We want a fair and democratic Europe that makes citizens proud again”. “Our time will come!” “The next legislative elections will show their victory!” tweeted Marine Le Pen of France’s National Front, an FPO ally who will contest the French presidential election next year.

Although the party has attempted to distance itself from its anti-Semitic past, some Austrians have expressed concerns about the party’s stance on immigration and Islam, for example, which Hofer says has “no place in Austria”.