In May Austria elected a new president, or so everyone thought; but the quite close results were successfully challenged. That means slightly over two months from now, on October 2nd, her citizens will get a chance to vote all over again for a new president of the Republic of Austria.
Even if you’re not Austrian, the outcome is worth knowing. Like June’s Brexit referendum and America’s national election in November, the results potentially could dramatically alter the country’s direction for, at least, the next few years. And, like it or not, that also could well affect everyone else around her. Austria’s president serves for six years and can run for a second term.
This is indeed Round 3 not 2. According to the Election Guide website, “the election for President of Austria was held earlier in 2016, with voting being conducted in the first two rounds on 24 April and 22 May”.
One of the presidential candidates is Alexander Van der Bellen “running as an independent candidate.” He was “a former leader of the Green Party and is backed by the party in this election” His opponent, the candidate said to be representing the far right, is Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party of Austria.
Different This Time
On July 18, 2016, a British journal geared toward universities and politicians, called the Regional & Federal Studies posted a review of the earlier voting. In its abstract for the article, The 2016 Austrian Presidential Election: A Tale of Three Divides, the publisher touched on part of the significance of this year’s presidential race,
“The 2016 Austrian presidential election was remarkably different than the previous ones in the history of the country characterized by its stable political system. Not only did it open the role of president in Austria to debate, but it also sidelined the two political parties that had dominated Austrian politics since World War II. Alexander Van der Bellen won the election with one of the closest margins in recent history … the election divided the country in more than one way. Besides the near 50–50 divide between the candidates, … results point towards a party system transformation in Austrian politics.”
According to Sylvie Kaufman — Editorial Director of the French newspaper, Le Monde — the shift in thinking that’s occurring in Austria, and in one democratic country after another, is a grave threat to democracy itself. She wrote about this in her May 18, 2016 NY Times piece, Austria’s Election Is a Warning to the West.
UPDATE: The election has been postponed until December 4, 2016 says EuroNews.
Read more about Austria’s election in our previous ITN article, May 21, 2016-Europe.
