Austria has elected Independent candidate Alexander Van der Bellen as president. The former Green Party leader defeated Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer.
Van der Bellen captured 53.3 percent of the vote, compared to 46.7 percent for Hofer. The results do not include absentee ballots but officials say there are too few of those to change the outcome.
Van der Bellen supports Austrian membership in the European Union. He called his victory a “signal of hope and change” to “all the capitals of the European Union.”
In contrast, Hofer spoke out against EU attempts to get too much control over individual states. He threatened to call a referendum on whether Austria should leave the EU. He also took a strong anti-immigration position during his campaign.
Experts partly link Hofer’s rise in popularity to immigration policies. Many people are concerned about the current migrant crisis in Europe. Tens of thousands of migrants have sought asylum in Austria in the past few years.
Many of Hofer’s followers are young men. They include members of Austria’s so-called Identity movement, which opposes multiculturalism. The movement is growing, adding groups in countries across Western Europe.
Hofer’s loss is seen as a setback to such populist movements in Europe.
Hofer told reporters that although he lost, he will keep up efforts to make sure the Austrians who voted for him are not ignored. “We are not done,” he told VOA. “I will fight for the next elections.”
Political experts say the election of Donald Trump in the United States heavily influenced politics in Austria and other EU nations. Trump campaigned on strong immigration enforcement and criticized European policies on migrants.
Words in This Story
referendum – n. a direct vote in which people cast ballots to decide on a specific issue or policy
multiculturalism – n. the belief that different cultures within a society should all be given the same importance
setback – n. a problem that makes something happen later or more slowly than it should
populist – adj. related to policies that supposedly represent the opinions of ordinary people