Green party-backed candidate Alexander Van der Bellen (L) shakes hands with the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria(FPO) candidate Norbert Hofer during a press conference after Van der Bellen wins the presidential election in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 4, 2016. Alexander Van der Bellen beat the right-wing candidate in the rerun of Austrian presidential election on Sunday, according to the projection by the SORA institute for broadcaster ORF. (Xinhua/Liu Xiang)
VIENNA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Greens-backed candidate Alexander Van der Bellen led in the rerun of Austrian presidential election on Sunday, according to a projection by the SORA institute for broadcaster ORF.
The projection showed that Van der Bellen got 53.6 percent of the vote, over 7.2 percent higher than right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) candidate Norbert Hofer's 46.4 percent.
Hofer congratulated Van der Bellen on his taking the lead in the vote on Facebook, and conceded defeat. "I am finally sad, that it didn't work," he said.
It's highly likely that Van der Bellen has beaten Hofer in the vote, becoming the first president not from the mainstream parties in Austria since the end of World War II.
It seems to be a victory for Austria to defend against populism. Austria was concerned if the victory of Donald Trump in the United States could embolden the populism in the country.
