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Van der Bellen wins Austrian presidential election

The final results will be announced on December 5 when votes cast by mail are counted

© EPA/CHRISTIAN BRUNA

VIENNA, December 4. /TASS/. Alexander Van der Bellen, the former leader of the Austrian Green Party and now an independent candidate, is winning Austria’s repeat presidential polls with 53.5% of the vote, APA news agency said on Sunday citing the results of counting 56% of ballots.

"Good sign against populism in #Europe." FM #Steinmeier congratulates @vanderBellen on winning the Presidential election in #Austria. #bpw16 https://t.co/siCR1dZvln
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) 4 December 2016

His rival, Norbert Hofer of the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria, is scoring 46.7% of votes.

The final results will be announced on December 5 when votes cast by mail are counted. The Austrian central electoral commission issued 708,000 such ballot cards, or by about 200,000 less than for the runoff polling on May 22.

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