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Far-right party concedes defeat in Austrian presidential election Far-right candidate concedes defeat in Austrian election
(35 minutes later)
The head of Austria’s rightwing populist Freedom party has conceded defeat in the presidential election and congratulated his independent rival on winning. The rightwing populist candidate for the Austrian presidency has conceded defeat and congratulated his Green-backed independent rival on winning the election.
The Freedom party leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, said: “I would like to take this opportunity to wholeheartedly congratulate Mr Van der Bellen. Sadly we only got second place, and of course that is a disappointment.” In a Facebook post published shortly after the first exit poll, Norbert Hofer of the anti-immigration Freedom party said: “I congratulate Alexander Van der Bellen for his success and ask all Austrians to pull together and work together.”
First exit polls indicate that Austria has decisively voted in the Green-backed candidate Alexander Van der Bellen as its next president, defeating the rightwing populist Norbert Hofer, who had also narrowly lost the first vote in May, which was later annulled. The 45-year-old said he was “endlessly sad” and “would have liked to look after Austria”.
According to the public broadcaster ORF, Van der Bellen had gained 53.3% of the vote with 69% of voting districts counted – too strong a lead to be turned around by Hofer, who had 46.7% of the vote.According to the public broadcaster ORF, Van der Bellen had gained 53.3% of the vote with 69% of voting districts counted – too strong a lead to be turned around by Hofer, who had 46.7% of the vote.
At the run-off vote in May, 50.35% of the population voted for Van der Bellen and 49.65% for Hofer. In May, 72.65% of the eligible population had turned out to vote, though experts expected turnout to be lower this time around given cold temperatures and a widespread voting fatigue after almost a year of campaigning. Hofer also narrowly lost the first runoff vote in May, which was later annulled. In that election, 50.35% of the population voted for Van der Bellen and 49.65% for Hofer. In May, 72.65% of the eligible population had turned out to vote, though experts expected turnout to be lower this time around given cold temperatures and a widespread voting fatigue after almost a year of campaigning.
Austria’s constitutional court annulled the May result in July after an investigation revealed irregularities in the count of the vote in several constituencies.Austria’s constitutional court annulled the May result in July after an investigation revealed irregularities in the count of the vote in several constituencies.
While the court emphasised that there was no evidence of the outcome of the election having been actively manipulated, the confirmed irregularities had affected a total of 77,926 votes that could have gone to either Hofer or Van der Bellen – enough, in theory, to change the outcome of the election.While the court emphasised that there was no evidence of the outcome of the election having been actively manipulated, the confirmed irregularities had affected a total of 77,926 votes that could have gone to either Hofer or Van der Bellen – enough, in theory, to change the outcome of the election.
With officials under clear instructions not to cut any corners to avoid another embarrassing recount, many experts had expected that a definitive result would not emerged until Monday, Tuesday, or possibly even Wednesday. With officials under clear instructions not to cut any corners to avoid another embarrassing recount, many experts had expected that a definitive result would not emerge until Monday, Tuesday, or possibly even Wednesday.
More than 10,000 voting booths had opened across the country on a clear but cold day at 8am.More than 10,000 voting booths had opened across the country on a clear but cold day at 8am.
The Freedom party candidate and his wife Verena Hofer had cast their votes in his hometown of Pinkafeld in Burgenland, the easternmost and least populous region of Austria. “I am calm and confident,” he told the press outside the voting booth. The Freedom party candidate and his wife, Verena Hofer, had cast their votes in his hometown of Pinkafeld in Burgenland, the easternmost and least populous region of Austria. “I am calm and confident,” he told the press outside the voting booth.
Van der Bellen and his wife Doris Schmidauer voted at around 11am at a school in Vienna’s Mariahilf district, telling journalists that he did not expect a clear result until Monday. Van der Bellen and his wife, Doris Schmidauer, voted at around 11am at a school in Vienna’s Mariahilf district, telling journalists that he did not expect a clear result until Monday.