Celebrations as far-right Norbert Hofer is defeated in Austrian presidential election
Freedom Party candidate says he is 'endlessly sad' after conceding to left-leaning rival Alexander Van der Bellen
AUSTRIA’S far-right presidential candidate Norbert Hofer has conceded defeat against his independent rival.
Hofer said in a Facebook post that he was “endlessly sad” about his loss, adding: “I would have been happy to take care of our Austria.”
The Freedom Party candidate conceded as preliminary results showed Alexander Van der Bellen ahead with 53.3 per cent of the vote against Hofer’s 46.7 per cent.
Those figures may change, but election officials say the margin is big enough to guarantee Van der Bellen’s victory.
Hofer congratulated his rival and urged Austrians to “stick together and to work together.”
The Austrian presidency is largely ceremonial but all eyes were on the election as an indicator of how populist candidates might fare in other European elections.
Austria’s presidential election has been a re-run after May’s poll suffered irregularities.
Hofer had campaigned on an anti-immigration platform amid concerns in Austria about immigration levels.
He had also suggested Austria might follow the UK’s lead by voting to leave the EU.
Supporters of Van der Bellen have been pictured celebrating the preliminary result in the Austrian capital Vienna.
People were seen cheering and hugging each other, with one holding up a sign reading: “Thank God.”
The apparent victory for left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen is also being welcomed across much of the political spectrum in neighbouring Germany.
Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who heads Germany’s center-left Social Democrats, told the Bild newspaper: “A load has been taken off the mind of all of Europe.”
Van der Bellen’s supporters were pictured celebrating the preliminary result in Vienna
He called the result “a clear victory for good sense against right-wing populism”.
Manfred Weber, a conservative who heads the main centre-right group in the European Parliament, wrote on Twitter: “Austrians send clear pro-European signal. The European right-wing populists’ party is off for now.”
And a leader of Germany’s opposition Greens, Simone Peter, said it was “a good day for Austria and Europe,” adding that “the right-wing rabble-rousers have to be stopped!”
France, Holland and Germany all face elections in 2017 during a time when anti-establishment and anti-immigration parties are gaining ground.
The official result of the marathon election, which lasted nearly a year, is not expected before Monday when postal votes will be tallied.
But the Freedom Party conceded defeat within minutes of the poll projections being released, shortly after voting ended.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368