This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36124256
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Austria election: Far-right tops first round of presidential vote | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Austria's far-right Freedom Party candidate has come top in the first round of presidential elections, preliminary results show. | |
| Norbert Hofer has about 36% of the votes for the mostly ceremonial role - not enough to avoid a run-off in May. | Norbert Hofer has about 36% of the votes for the mostly ceremonial role - not enough to avoid a run-off in May. |
| He is likely to face independent contender Alexander Van der Bellen, who is polling 20%. | |
| For the first time since World War Two, the candidates from Austria's two main parties did not make it to the run-off. | For the first time since World War Two, the candidates from Austria's two main parties did not make it to the run-off. |
| Rudolf Hundstorfer from the Social Democrats and the centre-right People's Party Andreas Kohl are each thought to have taken about 11% of the vote. | |
| Both parties have governed Austria for decades - either alone or in coalition. | Both parties have governed Austria for decades - either alone or in coalition. |
| This is a big shake-up in Austrian politics, the BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna reports, as the country has had a president from the centre-left or centre-right since 1945. | This is a big shake-up in Austrian politics, the BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna reports, as the country has had a president from the centre-left or centre-right since 1945. |
| The clear victory of the far-right candidate reflects widespread discontent with the status quo, as well as concerns about immigration and the economy, our correspondent says. | The clear victory of the far-right candidate reflects widespread discontent with the status quo, as well as concerns about immigration and the economy, our correspondent says. |
| Support for the Social Democrats and the People's Party has been falling in recent years. | Support for the Social Democrats and the People's Party has been falling in recent years. |
| In the last general elections in 2013, the two parties won just enough votes govern in a "grand coalition" | In the last general elections in 2013, the two parties won just enough votes govern in a "grand coalition" |
| If no candidate secures a majority of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, the run-off will be held on 22 May. | If no candidate secures a majority of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, the run-off will be held on 22 May. |
| Incumbent President Heinz Fischer, 77, cannot run again after two terms in office. | Incumbent President Heinz Fischer, 77, cannot run again after two terms in office. |