Austrians began voting on Sunday (October 9th) for a presidential election that is expected to re-appoint outgoing Green President Alexander Van der Bellen, seen as a symbol of stability as the EU member country faces an energy crisis and inflation.
Supported by a broad spectrum of the political class, he is credited with more than 50% of the votes in the polls and seems set to win in the first round against six opponents, all men.
“The biggest competitor on Sunday will be the sofa”quipped the 78-year-old head of state on Friday at the end of the campaign in front of his supporters. “If you care about liberal democracy, then go vote. »
The decline of the far right
The far-right FPÖ party, which almost won against him in 2016, would like to play the match again. But its candidate is little known: Walter Rosenkranz, 60, would collect only 15% of the vote, against the current of recent elections in Sweden and Italy.
Corruption cases have lost ground to Austria’s far right, which was the first in Europe to come close to victory in a presidential election six years ago. Founded by former Nazis, the FPÖ finally lost with more than 46% of the vote, after a ballot with twists and turns.
If the party then entered government by forming a coalition with the conservatives of young Sebastian Kurz, it had to leave power in 2019 after an incredible scandal and has never since regained its past glory.
Voting ends at 5 p.m.
Faced with these turmoil and the succession of chancellors, Alexander Van der Bellen, with the traditionally embodied function of ensuring protocol, guaranteed the continuity of the state. This pro-European also passes for ” integrated “ according to Julia Partheymüller, of the University of Vienna, which is ” much appreciated “ in comparison to “multiple crises facing many European countries”.
In the Alpine country of 9 million inhabitants, 6.4 million voters – including the Austro-American Arnold Schwarzenegger, the president’s strong supporter – are called to ballot for a six-year term. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 5 p.m., when exit polls are expected.