#AUSTRIA: Hofer Elected Head Of Freedom Party

[world politics news]

Austria's anti-immigrant populist party has formally elected Norbert Hofer to lead it into national elections later this month.

Hofer took over the Freedom Party's leadership in May after Heinz-Christian Strache resigned, both as party head and Austrian vice-chancellor, in the wake of a corruption scandal.

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#AUSTRIA: Anti-EU Pres. Candidate Launches Campaign For "Re-Run" Election

[world politics news]

The Freedom Party successfully challenged the result of a presidential run-off election in May in which its candidate, Norbert Hofer, narrowly lost against former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen.  The Constitutional Court of Austria ordered a re-run of the election, which will take place Oct. 2. Norbert is surging in popularity as anti-European Union feeling sweeps the nation.

#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.

#AUSTRIA: Anti-Immigration Freedom Pty. Wins First Round of Pres. Election

[world politics news]

The law-and-order candidate of Austria's right-wing party swept the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, winning over 36 percent of the vote for the party's best ever result. Government coalition contenders were among the five losers, signaling deep voter rejection and political uncertainty ahead. Presidential candidate Norbert Hofer, campaigning on an anti-immigration, anti-Europe platform, will still face a run-off ballot next month, however, having failed to win a majority of first round votes.