Austria rejects far-right party in bellwether presidential election

[Ken Burch]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Reuters, via CBS News


REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger



VIENNA — Austria denied its far-right party the presidency on Sunday, electing the Green Party’s Alexander Van der Bellen over the Freedom Party’s Norbert Hofer.

Amid growing fears about broad victories for far-right populism across Europe, Van der Bellen’s victory will be seen as a sign of hope that similar movements can be defeated at the ballot box in other European countries next year.
Parallels to Trump abound in Austria's presidential election
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Parallels to Trump abound in Austria's presidential election

Early results released Sunday evening in Austria, just after the polls had closed, found Van der Bellen with a 7-point lead over Hofer – far higher than any pre-election polls had suggested.

Hofer conceded the race shortly after the first results were released, thanking supporters in a Facebook post and calling for unity.



Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/austria-rejects-far-right-party-norbert-hofer-presidential-election/

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Finally, a setback for the monsters.

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. That wasn't a given

Not by a long shot. They pulled back from the precipice. Good for the Austrians.

[burrowowl]

2. Whew!

Good job Greens!

[JHan]

3. Blood and Soil Politics is all the rage, so this is a relief. Italy though *sigh*.

[Ken Burch]

5. Italy's situation is simply weird-and potentially tragic.

There's a "center-left" government there which has done nothing but impose ultra-Thatcherite economic and spending policies. Parties to the "center-left"s left don't seem to be making any headway, yet neither do parties to its right.

The only political grouping that seems to be gaining any ground is the "5Star" alliance, led by a comedian(unusually for Italian politics, the fellow I'm talking about, Beppe Grillo, is actually a comedian by profession, rather than a master of the accidental punchline like the rest), and 5Star has almost no actual program. If they do come to power(there's a chance they could win the next election), their popularity will plummet as soon as the voters realize 5Star has no answers for any of the country's real problems, and at that point the conditions for a fascist takeover would actually exist.

[Judi Lynn]

4. About time! Thank you.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

6. So much for the media narrative that the world wants to move to the Right.

[OKNancy]

7. Locking - duplicate topic

Earlier post sme subject here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141631241