Austria votes to elect its president, with outgoing environmentalist Van der Bellen the favorite

Austrians began voting on Sunday (Oct 9) in a presidential election expected to reinstate outgoing Greens leader Alexander van der Bellen, seen as a sign of stability as the EU member state grapples with an energy crisis and inflation.

With broad support from the political class, he has more than 50% of the votes in the polls and looks set to win against six opponents in the first round.

“Sunday’s biggest contender will be Sofa”He mocked the 78-year-old head of state on Friday at the end of the campaign in front of his supporters. “If you care about liberal democracy, go vote. »

Decline of the Far Right

The far-right FPÖ party, which almost won against him in 2016, wants to play the contest again. But its candidate is little known: 60-year-old Walter Rosencrans, who will collect only 15% of the vote against recent elections in Sweden and Italy.

Corruption cases have lost ground on Austria’s far-right, which came close to victory in Europe’s presidential election six years ago. Founded by former Nazis, the FPÖ was finally there After a ballot with twists and turns, it was tipped with more than 46% of the vote.

If the party later entered government in alliance with the conservatives of the young Sebastian Kurz, it had to leave power in 2019 after an incredible scandal, and since then it has never regained its past glory.

Voting ends at 5 PM.

Faced with these upheavals and the succession of principalities, Alexander van der Bellen guaranteed the continuity of the state, with traditional functions that affirmed the norm. Even this European bias is passing “Integrated” According to Julia Parthimüller of the University of Vienna “Much appreciated” In comparison “Multiple Crises Facing Many European Countries”.

In the Alpine nation of 9 million people, 6.4 million voters – including Austro-American Arnold Schwarzenegger, a strong supporter of the president – are invited to vote for a six-year term. Polling stations will open at 7 am and close at 5 pm, with exit polls expected.