![]() This year, the Freedom Party has capitalized on inflation and rising energy prices to make modest poll gains in recent months. That year, the same one that produced the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom and Donald Trump’s election in the United States, Austria could have elected its first far-right head of state since World War II. Van der Bellen was first elected president in 2016 in a closely watched race between him and the Freedom Party's Norbert Hofer. “If I don’t get my wish, well, then I’ll just win four weeks later. “If things go well, I’m going to get more votes than all six of my competitors combined,” he said during an event at a Jewish community center this week. Van der Bellen has said he is confident he can win outright in Sunday’s vote. Rosenkranz and other candidates, meanwhile, have used the race as an opportunity to get their messages and campaign rhetoric out despite the tough odds they face. “Alexander Van der Bellen indeed holds all the trump cards,” Hajek said.Īs a result, the presidential campaign has been relatively subdued: Van der Bellen has opted for smaller events rather than large-scale rallies, and he declined to participate in televised debates with his opponents. Peter Hajek, head of the Vienna-based polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, said the most recent polls put Van der Bellen’s support well above 50%, meaning that he will likely reach that threshold even if there is low voter turnout. Opinion polling has consistently put him above that mark in recent weeks. Van der Bellen must receive 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff election in November. Although the position on paper holds significant authority, including to sign off on legislation, dismiss government ministers and to dissolve the parliament and call for new elections, the powers are rarely used. Other candidates on the ballot include the left-leaning, satirical Beer Party’s Dominik Wlazny, known as Marco Pogo, as well as a handful of right-wing and conspiracy-minded candidates, such as Michael Brunner of the anti-coronavirus party People Freedom Fundamental Rights and Gerald Grosz, a former leader of the now-defunct, far-right party Alliance for the Future of Austria.Īustrian presidents are elected for six-year terms and serve as the country’s head of state. Of the five parties represented in the Austrian Parliament, only the far-right Freedom Party opted to run a candidate against him - its former parliamentary leader Walter Rosenkranz, a lawyer. The Greens, the Social Democrats and the liberal Neos have endorsed him, and the conservative People’s Party declined to field a challenger. He has the implicit or explicit backing of most major parties in Austria, which is partly why his reelection is so likely. Van der Bellen, who previously belonged to The Greens but is running as an independent, is one of seven candidates vying for the presidency. ![]()
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