BERLIN — The head of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party says Tuesday he is stepping down, raising the possibility that he could run for president of the Alpine nation next year.
Austrian public broadcaster ORF reports that Norbert Hofer will resign as party chief, a post he assumed after a 2019 scandal involving a leading member of the Freedom Party that resulted in it being ejected from the last government.
Hofer lost the 2016 election for the largely ceremonial post of Austrian president against Alexander Van der Bellen.
Austrian media have speculated that Hofer might be put forward again as candidate by the Freedom Party in next year’s presidential election, though he hasn’t publicly confirmed such plans.
The Freedom Party’s parliamentary leader, Herbert Kickl, has been tipped as a possible successor as the head of the party.
Norbert Hofer of Austria’s Freedom Party, FPOE, at a news conference after the presidential election in Vienna, Austria, December 6, 2016. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
