Exit polls: Austrian President Van der Bellen wins interim election
So, Van der Bellen gets 53-56 percent of the vote – that’s an absolute majority. It is followed by right-wing FPÖ candidate Walter Rosenkranz with 17-20 percent.
Also, the votes were temporarily split as follows: Beer Party leader and punk musician Dominik Vlazny – 8-11 percent, independent candidate Tassilo Valentin – seven to nine percent, independent candidate Gerald Grosz – five to seven percent, Michael Brunner from the MFG party – two percent -three, independent candidate Heinrich Studinger – 1.7 percent of the vote.
The President of Austria is elected every six years. Any Austrian citizen who has the right to vote and has reached the age of 35 can become the head of state. Re-election of the incumbent leader for a second term is allowed once.
The candidate who receives the absolute majority of the votes in the first round wins the election. If there is no leader, a second round is held, where the two candidates who received the most votes in the previous round meet.
The head of state primarily performs representative functions, and also appoints the chancellor and, on his recommendation, ministers and cabinet members. He also has the power to dismiss the government and dissolve the parliament and is also the Commander-in-Chief. The president can be removed from office by a national referendum.
Source: Ria
I’m Harold O’Connor and I work as an author and editor for News Unrolled, a news website dedicated to delivering the latest world events. With my in-depth research skills, passion for news writing, and keen eye for detail, I strive to provide readers with accurate information on current affairs from around the globe.
