Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen and his wife Doris speak to the media in front of a polling station in Vienna, during the presidential elections on October 9, 2022. /Joe Klamar/AFP
Austria's incumbent president Alexander van der Bellen is set to win Sunday's election with 54.6 percent of votes, according to projections from public broadcaster ORF released as the polls closed.
With the projections having a 2.1 percent margin for error, Van der Bellen should be safely above the threshold for an absolute majority, ruling out the need for a further presidential runoff.
Austrians had been expected to return Van der Bellen, the incumbent president seen as a beacon of stability as the Alpine country struggles with an energy crisis and inflation.
Campaigning on a slogan of "clarity" and "stability," the pro-European liberal backed by mist major parties had been widely tipped to clinch a second mandate, with his six challengers – all men – lagging far behind.
Indeed, Van der Bellen closed his campaign by warning his supporters against overconfidence. "This is not a done deal," he said on Friday. "Please go and vote and convince others to go and vote. The biggest enemy of democratic participation this Sunday is the sofa."
READ MORE
What is the European Political Community?
Cold snap; e-cig ban; hybrid power: China Quick Take
Erdogan doubles down on Greek threats
After casting his ballot in central Vienna on Sunday, the 78-year-old economics professor said "It would be nice if we had clarity today – nice for Austria, nice for us – we can then fully concentrate on the diverse tasks ahead, the multitude of crises... that we in Austria, in Europe, are facing."
Some 6.4 million people were eligible to cast their ballots from the European Union country's total population of nine million. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and closed at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT).
Campaign posters proclaimed Van der Bellen to be "the safe choice in stormy times" as the ripple effects of Russia's military attack on Ukraine push up inflation throughout Europe.
Who were Van der Bellen's opponents?
Van der Bellen had the explicit or implicit backing of Austria's major parties except the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe). The latter fielded its own candidate, Walter Rosenkranz, who is projected to have received 18.9 percent of votes.
At his closing rally, FPOe candidate Rosenkranz touched on core FPOe themes of immigration, law and order, and criticizing Brussels. He accused Van der Bellen of being the candidate of the political establishment and "the system."
Beer Party candidate Dominik Wlazny, a punk rock musician also known by his stage name Marco Pogo, speaks to media in Vienna, October 9, 2022. /Lisa Leutner/Reuters
"I have a funny feeling that there will be a run-off," 60-year-old Rosenkranz said in a speech so long that news channels cut away before the end.
Also standing for the presidency was 35-year-old punk rocker Dominik Wlazny, founder of the Beer Party, named for its advocacy of the popular beverage. However, Wlazny – also known by his stage name of Marco Pogo – was polling at less than 10 percent ahead of Sunday's vote.
How was Van der Bellen elected before?
A former leader of the Green Party, Van der Bellen – known affectionately by supporters as "the professor" – was elected in 2016 as an independent.
On that occasion he beat off strong opposition from the FPOe, whose candidate Norbert Hofer won the first round of votes without an absolute majority, forcing a runoff narrowly won by Van der Bellen on 53.79 percent.
But the FPOe's ratings have plummeted since 2019, following a corruption scandal that brought down the coalition government it was part of.
Analyst Thomas Hofer said it was "crucial" for Van der Bellen to avoid a run-off such as that of 2016, when the campaign was "very divisive and hostile."
"Van der Bellen stands for integrity and stability, which is very appreciated by voters given the multitude of crises that many European countries are currently facing," opined Julia Partheymueller, a political analyst at the University of Vienna.
What does the Austrian president do?
The presidential post, which has a term of six years, is largely ceremonial, but also has sweeping powers that mean overseeing periods of transition and turbulence.
Van der Bellen has seen more than his fair share of crises, and he built his image on having a steady hand and relaxed manner.
Van der Bellen has campaigned on being 'the safe choice in stormy times.' /Joe Klamar/AFP
In 2017, Van der Bellen swore in a coalition government that the conservative People's Party formed with the FPOe, only for it to collapse in scandal in 2019 after the then-leader of the FPOe was secretly filmed offering to fix state contracts.
Conservative star Sebastian Kurz quit as chancellor a year ago over corruption allegations that he denies. Van der Bellen has sworn in two other conservative chancellors since.
What is Van der Bellen's background?
Known for his trademark professorial manner, Van der Bellen will be Austria's oldest head of state to be sworn in if he wins.
Van der Bellen – also known as "Sasha," a nickname that nods to his Russian roots – was born in Vienna during World War II to an aristocratic Russian father and an Estonian mother.
The arrival of the Red Army a year later forced the family to escape to the southern state of Tyrol, where Van der Bellen spent an "idyllic childhood."
He studied economics at the University of Innsbruck and finished his PhD in 1970 before going on to become dean of economics at the University of Vienna.