Austrian President Thwarts Populist Challengers for New Term

(Bloomberg) -- Austrians handed President Alexander Van der Bellen a second term on Sunday, rejecting populist challengers in the nation’s first election since coronavirus lockdowns and the war in Ukraine upended its economy.

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The 78-year-old former Green Party leader received 54.6% support at Sunday’s vote, above the 50% mark needed to avoid a run-off.

Van der Bellen steered Austria through its most turbulent post-World War II political period. He’s overseen the formation or dissolution of six Austrian governments since his 2016 election.

He twice swore in Sebastian Kurz as chancellor, first as Europe’s youngest leader then a second time after a secret video in Ibiza toppled Kurz’s coalition partner.

Scandals have continued to dog Austrian governments since then and Chancellor, Karl Nehammer is struggling to keep a fragile coalition together as support for his People’s Party falters.

“It would be wise for political parties to look at what’s going on abroad,” Van der Bellen said late Sunday on public broadcaster ORF, mentioning the right-wing takeover of Italy as an example. The picture changes from election to election, and while these movements are difficult to control, they can endanger democracy, he said.

In contrast with his clear victory this time, Van der Bellen in 2016 only narrowly defeated his Freedom Party opponent, Norbert Hofer, who tapped into anti-immigration sentiment in the central European nation.

The far-right group’s candidate, Walter Rosenkranz, came second with 19.1% of the vote, according to preliminary results that don’t include mail-in ballots. Tassilo Wallentin, a conservative lawyer and columnist, and Dominik Wlazny, a physician founder of the Beer Party, each won about 8% of the vote.

(Updates preliminary vote count from second paragraph, adds comment from Van der Bellen in sixth.)

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