Austria election: Unity call after close defeat for far right

Austria's new president has vowed to listen to the people's
"fear and anger" after his far-right opponent narrowly missed
out on a landmark victory.
Independent Alexander Van der Bellen beat the Freedom
Party's Norbert Hofer by just 31,000 votes among the 4.64
million cast in Sunday's election.
The victor accepted there was a "rift" but said: "We are two
sides of the same coin. Together we make up Austria."
Mr Hofer had run on a Eurosceptic, anti-immigration platform.
If he had won, he would have become the first far-right head
of state of a European Union nation.
'Non-partisan president'
In his victory speech, Mr Van der Bellen, a pro-EU candidate
backed by the Greens, said he accepted that many people
believed that they were not being heard.
He said: "We need a different culture of dialogue and a
political system which deals with people's fears and anger."
Mr Van der Bellen, 72, said he would "work towards winning
the trust of Norbert Hofer's voters" and try to be "a non-
partisan president for all the people in Austria".
He added: "There's been a lot of talk about this country's rifts.
But I think you can also interpret the split as a sign that we are
two sides of the same coin and each side is as important as
the other."While he awaited the result, the man who could have become
the EU's first far right leader mowed his lawn. I met Norbert
Hofer in his hometown - about an hour's drive from Vienna.
We chatted at his garden gate - he was still perched on his
ride-on lawnmower.
These elections, he said, would go down in history. And, he
told me, whoever won would have to work to unite this
country.
Perhaps he's right. The election has split Austria and exposed,
once again, deep divisions in Europe - how to deal with the
migrant crisis, the economy and how to balance national
interests against those of the EU.
And what's characterised this vote - widespread
disillusionment with the political mainstream and growing
support for Mr Hofer's far-right Freedom Party - is reflected
across a growing number of European countries.
Austria digests poll drama
Is Europe lurching to the far right?
Chancellor Christian Kern said the vote was "worryingly close...
and therefore it is of particular importance to us that... no
voter feels like they have lost."
Mainstream European politicians expressed relief at the result.
Many nations have seen a surge in nationalist and anti-
immigration parties amid the migrant crisis and economic
uncertainty.
The Austrian presidency is largely a ceremonial post. But the
president can dissolve the lower house of parliament and call
elections without the need for permission from the ruling
party.
'Gigantic showing'
Mr Hofer said on his Facebook page (in German) it was a "sad
day" but added: "Please don't be disheartened. The effort in
this election campaign is not wasted, but is an investment for
the future."
The Freedom Party insisted its candidate had made a
"gigantic showing".
Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache said: "This is just the
beginning."
France's National Front praised a "historic performance".
Mr Van der Bellen and Mr Hofer were contesting the run-off
after the candidates of the two parties that have dominated
Austrian politics since World War Two were eliminated.
Opinion polls suggest that it parliamentary elections were held
now, the Freedom Party would win. The next polls are
scheduled for 2018.