Defeated right-wing Austrian president hopeful urges unity
Posted May 24, 2016 7:00 am
VIENNA (AP) - Norbert Hofer, the right-winger who lost only narrowly to a pro-EU rival in Austrian presidential elections, has joined the winner in asking all citizens to try to overcome the ideological divisions that led to the close contest.
Speaking Tuesday, Hofer asked "Austrians to stick together."
His opponent, Alexander Van Der Bellen, won the race with 50.3 percent of the votes, ompared with 49.7 percent for Hofer.
Van der Bellen, a former Greens party leader who ran as an independent, is also looking to bridge the differences.
He quit the party after his win was announced, in a gesture underlining his intention to be a president for all and declared that both political camps together make "this beautiful Austria."
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