Green Light

Alexander van der Bellen, a former Green party leader running as independent, beats the Freedom party’s Norbert Hofer A leftwing, independent candidate has narrowly prevented Austria from becoming the first EU country to elect a far-right head of state after a knife-edge contest ended with his opponent conceding defeat. [Read more].

• Kate Konnolly and John Henley, Far-right candidate narrowly defeated in Austrian presidential election, The Guardian, May 23, 2016

Alexander van der Bellen waves to supporters at the Palais Auersperg after the Austrian presidential elections runoff. Photo: Florian Wieser/EPA.