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Who are the two men competing to be Austria's next president? Who are the two men competing to be Austria's next president?
(35 minutes later)
Some call Norbert Hofer the moderate and friendly face of Austria’s far-right Freedom party (FPÖ). Others see him as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, an extremist deftly dressed up in smart suits, smooth talk and an easy charm.Some call Norbert Hofer the moderate and friendly face of Austria’s far-right Freedom party (FPÖ). Others see him as a wolf in sheep’s clothing, an extremist deftly dressed up in smart suits, smooth talk and an easy charm.
The 45-year-old son of a local councillor and electric power station director, Hofer was born in Burgenland, Austria’s easternmost and least prosperous state, trained as an aeronautical engineer and spent his early career at Lauda Air. The 45-year-old son of a councillor and electric power station director, Hofer was born in Burgenland, Austria’s easternmost and least prosperous state, trained as an aeronautical engineer and spent his early career at Lauda Air.
Related: Austria election: far-right candidate and rival tied at 50% in exit pollRelated: Austria election: far-right candidate and rival tied at 50% in exit poll
He worked his way steadily up the regional and then national ranks of the nationalist and anti-immigration Freedom Party, eventually becoming a trusted advisor to Heinz-Christian Strache, the party’s hardline leader since 2005. He worked his way steadily up the regional and then national ranks of the nationalist and anti-immigration Freedom party, eventually becoming a trusted adviser to Heinz-Christian Strache, the party’s hardline leader since 2005.
Analysts credit Hofer – who has walked with the help of a stick since a serious paragliding accident in 2003 – with persuading the party to change course, tacking away from Strache’s favoured extremist, often racist brand of far-right politics and towards a more moderate-seeming (and vote-winning) focus on employment, incomes and welfare.Analysts credit Hofer – who has walked with the help of a stick since a serious paragliding accident in 2003 – with persuading the party to change course, tacking away from Strache’s favoured extremist, often racist brand of far-right politics and towards a more moderate-seeming (and vote-winning) focus on employment, incomes and welfare.
His slick, unashamedly populist, Eurosceptic but largely uncontroversial campaign, promising to “put Austria first” with the slogan “Unspoilt, honest, good”, saw him collect 35% of the first round vote in the presidential elections, his party’s best national score since its formation in 1956.His slick, unashamedly populist, Eurosceptic but largely uncontroversial campaign, promising to “put Austria first” with the slogan “Unspoilt, honest, good”, saw him collect 35% of the first round vote in the presidential elections, his party’s best national score since its formation in 1956.
Related: Fear of migrants and loathing of elites drive a small Austrian town to far rightRelated: Fear of migrants and loathing of elites drive a small Austrian town to far right
But Hofer, a father of four and keen, Glock-carrying gun enthusiast, has also said “Islam has no place in Austria”, and warned that he will not hesitate to dissolve the government – a presidential prerogative – if it does not act against immigration. But Hofer, a father of four and a keen, Glock-carrying gun enthusiast, has also said “Islam has no place in Austria”, and warned that he will not hesitate to dissolve the government – a presidential prerogative – if it does not act against immigration.
Pitted against the anti-immigrant Hofer is Alexander Van der Bellen, a tall and austere 72-year-old retired economics professor who has often called himself “a child of refugees”. Pitted against the anti-immigrant Hofer is Alexander van der Bellen, a tall and austere 72-year-old retired economics professor, who has often called himself “a child of refugees”.
Van der Bellen’s father was born in Russia to a family descended from Dutch immigrants, his mother was born in Estonia – from where both fled when the former Soviet Union invaded in 1940, eventually settling in Austria.Van der Bellen’s father was born in Russia to a family descended from Dutch immigrants, his mother was born in Estonia – from where both fled when the former Soviet Union invaded in 1940, eventually settling in Austria.
A Vienna city councillor since leaving parliament in 2012, Van der Bellen, who is staunchly pro-European, led the Austrian Greens from 1997 to 2008, when the party emerged as the country’s fourth biggest behind the Social Democrats, conservative Austrian People’s party and theFreedom party. A Vienna city councillor since leaving parliament in 2012, Van der Bellen, who is staunchly pro-European, led the Austrian Greens from 1997 to 2008, when the party emerged as the country’s fourth biggest, behind the Social Democrats, conservative Austrian People’s party and theFreedom party.
He stepped down as leader in 2008 when the Greens lost votes for the first time in a decade, but has remained a highly poplar figure, consistently scoring far higher than the party (Van der Bellen’s ran as an independent in the 2016 presidential race, although the Greens are supporting his campaign financially). He stepped down as leader in 2008 when the Greens lost votes for the first time in a decade, but has remained a highly poplar figure, consistently scoring far higher than the party (Van der Bellen ran as an independent in the 2016 presidential race, although the Greens are supporting his campaign financially).
Aware of the need to appeal to voters a long way outside the party’s normal base, Van der Bellen, whose preferred reading is 19th-century Russian literature, has not shied away from espousing a few traditionalist traits. Aware of the need to appeal to voters a long way outside the party’s normal base, Van der Bellen, who lists 19th-century Russian literature among his interests, has not shied away from espousing a few traditionalist traits.
His campaign videos have featured some unabashed yodelling, his speeches have often referred to the attachment he feels to his Tyrolean Heimat (“homeland”), and he has repeatedly stressed the social duties and obligation to integrate of Austria’s 90,000 newly-arrived refugees. His campaign videos have featured some unabashed yodelling, his speeches have often referred to the attachment he feels to his Tyrolean heimat (homeland), and he has repeatedly stressed the social duties and obligation to integrate Austria’s 90,000 newly arrived refugees.