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.
The 78-year-old former Green Party leader had 55.4% support at Sunday’s vote with 65% of ballots counted, according to preliminary results compiled by the SORA Institute, above the 50% mark needed to avoid a runoff. Austrian broadcaster ORF called the election for the incumbent.
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 and 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.
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, was running second on Sunday with 18.4% of the vote. Tassilo Wallentin, a conservative lawyer and columnist, and Dominik Wlazny, a physician founder of the Beer Party, each won about 8% of the vote.
