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Austria election: Far-right tops first round of presidential vote | Austria election: Far-right tops first round of presidential vote |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Austria's far-right Freedom Party candidate has come top in the first round of presidential elections, preliminary results show. | 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 Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent contender backed by the Greens, who is polling 20%. | He is likely to face Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent contender backed by the Greens, 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 Khol 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 to govern in a "grand coalition" | In the last general elections in 2013, the two parties won just enough votes to 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. |