#AUSTRIA: President, In Palestine, Says Austria Would "Never" Relocate Israeli Embassy To Jerusalem

[world politics news]

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen yesterday criticized the relocation of US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, stressing his country would never follow suit. Van der Bellen made the remarks during a press conference held with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. Van der Bellen is the ceremonial head of state of Austria.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#AUSTRIA: Indie Green Candidate Van der Bellen Defeats Right-Wing Pres. Candidate Hoffer

[world politics news]

In a result sure to be welcomed by supporters of  the European Union, Green Party-backed independent Alexander Van der Bellen, 72, swept 53.6% of the votes in Austria's run-off election Sunday, while his rival Norbert Hoffer of the anti-immigration Freedom Party received 46.4%, projections showed. On Facebook, Hoffer described himself as "infinitely sad" and congratulated Alexander Van der Bellen, former head of the Greens, on his victory. Although the post is ceremonial in Austria, the poll had been seen as a sign of how well populist candidates might do elsewhere in Europe.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#AUSTRIA: Anti-Immigrant Candidate Hofer Concedes Presidential Election To Independent Van der Bellen

[world politics news]

In a sign that Europe's migration crisis is having an impact on its political psyche, the anti-immigrant candidate of the Austrian Freedom Party, Norbert Hofer, barely lost his bid to become Austria's president to a pro-EU Independent sponsored by the Greens, Alexander Van der Bellen, who beat Hofer by just 31,000 votes among the 4.64 million cast. While a largely ceremonial position, the presidential race signals the rise of the Freedom Party, which did extremely well in the last parliamentary election.