When is the Austrian election 2016? Date, candidate details, odds and predictions – here’s what we know
The country could elect the EU's first far-right leader since Hitler when they go to the polls on Sunday
AUSTRIANS are preparing to take to the polls and choose their next president after the first vote was postponed.
The country could elect the EU's first far-right leader since Hitler as Nobert Hofer, of the Freedom Party (FPÖ), as he goes head-to-head with former Greens Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen.
When is the Austrian election, and what’s it for?
The election will be held on Sunday, December 4, in a re-run of a vote that was due to be held earlier this year.
The president is directly elected once every six years in a two-round system.
If none of the candidates receive more than 50% of the vote in the first round then a second ballot occurs whereby only the two who received the greatest number stand.
In the first round of the election in April this year, Norbert Hofer received the most votes while Alexander Van der Bellen placed second.
Who is Alexander Van der Bellen?
Alexander Van der Bellen, 72, is the former leader of the Greens Party.
The grey-haired economics expert comes across as a nice, older gentleman", according to political expert Peter Hajek.
Van der Bellen was born during World War II in Vienna to an aristocratic Russian father and an Estonian mother who fled Stalinism - earning him the tag "communist" from his opponent.
The arrival of the Red Army in 1945 forced the family to escape to the southern state of Tyrol, where Van der Bellen spent an "idyllic childhood".
His academic career saw him become dean of the economics faculty at the University of Vienna, before he joined the Greens in the mid-1990s.
The party achieved record results under his decade-long leadership.
Van der Bellen's huge backing from celebrities and the country's top politicians has left his rival unimpressed.
"You have the glitterati, but I have the people,"; the far-right politician observed.
Who is Norbert Hofer?
A gun-loving populist and Islam critic, parliamentary speaker Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party (FPOe), which was founded by ex-Nazis in the 1950s, is standing for office.
The 45-year-old, who trained as an aeronautical engineer, narrowly lost the election in May but now has another shot after the initial run-off was annulled.
He has promised to "put Austria first" by introducing strict border controls and banning the burka.
The son of a conservative councillor in Burgenland state, he joined the FPOe in 1994 and was made party secretary two years later.
Biding his time, he later became a close adviser to Strache who took over the party reins from the charismatic Joerg Haider in 2005.
Described as the FPOe's "friendly face", the self-proclaimed political "gladiator" pushes themes like anti-immigration with a winning smile instead of the incendiary rhetoric of party chief Heinz-Christian Strache.
Hofer's polished campaign -- run under the slogan "Tough in action, engaging in tone" - earned him 35% in the first round in April, the FPOe's best-ever result at federal level since 1945.
But observers warn the smooth politician is a "wolf in sheep's clothing" who has already threatened to seize upon never-before-used presidential powers to fire the government or call a referendum on Austria's European Union membership.
What would a Hofer victory mean for Europe?
If Hofer is elected president of Austria, he will become the European Union's first far-right leader since Hitler, potentially sending ripples across the continent.
He said he wouldn't call for Austria to leave the EU but would take a referendum if Turkey joined or Brussels tried to centralise more power.
There are concerns the 'Trump-effect' and Brexit could rub off on voters with surveys showing that many Austrians believe Hofer stands a chance to benefit to the detriment of his opponent.
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen welcomed the Trump victory as a "sign of hope," while xenophobe Geert Wilders, who hopes to become prime minister in the Netherlands, hailed the Trump "revolution."
Commentators suggest there is nothing to stop voters in France and the Netherlands swaying to the right if Hofer takes office.
Tony Barber, writing in the Financial Times, said: "Against the backdrop of Britain’s vote to leave the EU, and doubts over America’s commitment to European security after Donald Trump’s victory, it is tempting to paint the outlook for Europe in grim colours."
Who is favourite to win the Austrian Election?
Hofer's Freedom Party has been leading the polls for months, despite narrowly missing out the first time around.
He's got a slight lead on his opponent with most bookmakers, including Paddy Power who has placed Hofer at 3/10 and Van der Bellen at 11/5.
However, Ladbrokes has placed Van der Bellen at 2/1 as of December 1.
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