Far-right candidate concedes defeat in Austrian presidential race

23 May 2016, 5:43 pm

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The far-right candidate in Austria’s presidential election acknowledges defeat to his left-leaning rival, in a Facebook post thanking his backers for their support.

Norbert Hofer says he is “naturally sad,” adding: “I would have been happy to have cared for our wonderful country as federal president.” He says that the work of his supporters during the election is “not lost but an investment in the future.”

Yesterday’s count of the direct votes put Hofer on 51.9 percent while Alexander Van der Bellen, the Greens politician running as an independent, got 48.1 percent. But adding the count of some 700,000 absentee ballots had put Van der Bellen slightly ahead.

— AP