Austrian far-right candidate concedes defeat
VIENNA: Far-right Austrian presidential candidate Norbert Hofer’s campaign manager conceded defeat yesterday to former Greens leader Alexander Van der Bellen.
“The bottom line is it didn’t quite work out,” Herbert Kickl told broadcaster ORF as initial projections showed Van der Bellen leading with a score of around 54% to Hofer’s 46%.
“In this case the establishment, which pitched in once again to block, to stonewall and to prevent renewal, has won,” he said.
Hofer, of the hardline Freedom Party (FPOe) had hoped to emerge victorious after he narrowly lost to the Greens-backed Van der Bellen in a first run-off in May, which was annulled over ballot count breaches.
Boosted by Brexit and Donald Trump’s shock US election win, smooth-tongued gun enthusiast Hofer had vowed to “get rid of the dusty establishment”, seek closer ties with Russia and fight against “Brussels centralising power”.
Although Austria’s presidency is largely ceremonial, observers had feared a win for Hofer, 45, would trigger a domino effect in the wake of key elections next year in France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Populist groups across Europe, on the right and the left, have benefited from a growing sense of unease about globalisation, multiculturalism, rising inequality and austerity cuts.
The Austrian vote also came on the same day as a high-stakes referendum in Italy.
“Nationwide votes in Austria and Italy on Dec 4 are causing palpable anxiety in Europe that ... this will be the day when the sky starts falling,” the Financial Times wrote recently.
One worrying aspect for EU decisionmakers was that Hofer’s win might have paved the way for a return to government of his popular FPOe, founded by ex-Nazis.
Some 6.4 million voters were eligible to cast ballots at polling stations, which opened at 0600 GMT (2pm in Malaysia). Polls had earlier suggested that Hofer was neck-andneck with Van der Bellen. – Agencies