Hofer's Austrian Election: A Close Call?

Norbert Gerwald Hofer is an Austrian politician who was the leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from 2019 to 2021. He was the party's candidate in the 2016 presidential election, which he lost to Alexander Van der Bellen. In 2022, Van der Bellen was re-elected for a second term, defeating far-right Freedom Party candidate Walter Rosenkranz.

Norbert Hofer was the Austrian Freedom Party's candidate in the 2016 presidential election

Norbert Gerwald Hofer, born on 2 March 1971, is an Austrian politician who was the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from June 2019 to June 2021. He was the party's candidate in the 2016 Austrian presidential election.

Hofer's candidacy was announced on 28 January 2016. He ran on a platform of "putting Austria first" and took a tough stance on immigration in light of the migrant crisis, where around 90,000 migrants applied for asylum in Austria. He also promised to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. Additionally, he stated his intention to refuse to approve certain laws, such as a planned free-trade agreement between the European Union and the United States.

Hofer won the first round of the election, held on 24 April 2016, with 35.1% of the votes, the best result for the Freedom Party at the federal level since 1956. This placed him in a runoff against Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent candidate and former member of the Austrian Greens and the Social Democratic Party. The second round of voting was held on 22 May 2016, with Hofer receiving 49.7% of the votes, narrowly losing to Van der Bellen, who received 50.3%.

However, the results of the second round were annulled by the Constitutional Court of Austria due to irregularities in the counting of absentee ballots. A re-vote was held on 4 December 2016, in which Van der Bellen emerged as the clear victor, receiving around 53.3% of the votes. Hofer conceded defeat and expressed his intention to run again in the next election. Despite his loss, political scientists argued that it was a significant achievement for the Freedom Party to attain 47% of the votes, far exceeding their typical performance in national parliamentary elections.

He lost to Alexander Van der Bellen, who secured 53.8% of the vote

Norbert Gerwald Hofer, an Austrian politician, was the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from June 2019 to June 2021. He served as the minister of transport, innovation, and technology from 2017 to 2019 under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. In 2016, Hofer was the FPÖ's candidate in the Austrian presidential election. He won the first round, receiving 35.1% of the vote, but ultimately lost the final runoff to The Greens' candidate, Alexander Van der Bellen, who secured 53.8% of the vote.

Hofer's campaign slogan was "Power needs control", and he sought to appeal to voters with a promise of toughness in the wake of concerns over Europe's migrant crisis. He ran on a far-right platform, promoting Euroscepticism and anti-immigration policies. However, he lost to Van der Bellen, who secured a decisive victory with 53.8% of the vote. This outcome was a relief for many in Europe, as it prevented the EU from having its first far-right head of state.

The Austrian presidential election in 2016 was a significant event, with right-wing parties and politicians across Western Europe celebrating Hofer's first-round win. The election was closely watched, given the context of the Brexit vote in the UK and Donald Trump's election in the United States. Hofer's defeat was attributed in part to the endorsement of Van der Bellen by urban areas and the impact of Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Van der Bellen's victory was seen as a win for pro-European values and a rejection of far-right politics. He ran as an independent, increasing his lead over Hofer by a considerable margin from the original vote in May, which was annulled due to voting irregularities. Van der Bellen's campaign focused on his EU-friendly credentials, with posters proclaiming that a vote for him meant "no to Öxit".

Hofer conceded his defeat within half an hour of the first exit polls, posting his congratulations to Van der Bellen on Facebook. He expressed sadness and confirmed his intention to run for the presidency again in 2022. Despite Hofer's loss, the Freedom Party's performance in the election was still considered a success, as it achieved the best result for the party at the federal level since 1956.

Hofer's slogan was Power needs control

Norbert Gerwald Hofer, born on March 2, 1971, in Vorau, Austria, is an Austrian politician who served as the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from June 2019 to June 2021. Hofer's political career includes serving as the minister of transport, innovation, and technology, as well as holding the position of third president of the National Council. In 2016, he was his party's candidate in the Austrian presidential election, where his slogan was "Power needs control."

Hofer's campaign slogan, "Power needs control," reflected a key aspect of his political platform and message to the Austrian electorate. The slogan emphasised the need for a strong and active presidency that would act as a check on the powers of the state and other institutions. By invoking the idea of control over power, Hofer presented himself as a counterweight to what he and his supporters perceived as an excessive concentration of power within the state apparatus. This message resonated with Austrians who felt their concerns and interests were not being adequately addressed by the traditional mass parties, such as the conservative People's Party (OVP) and the Social Democrats.

The slogan "Power needs control" also tapped into the prevailing concerns in Austria and Europe at the time regarding the migrant crisis. Hofer's campaign, with its emphasis on "control," sought to address these worries by advocating for tougher immigration policies and a more sceptical approach to Austria's involvement in the European Union. He positioned himself as a eurosceptic, suggesting that Austria should consider leaving the EU in certain circumstances. This stance aligned with the views of right-wing movements in other European countries, such as Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Hofer's slogan drew comparisons to the successful 1992 campaign of Thomas Klestil, the predecessor of the then-current president. Klestil's slogan, "Power needs control," contributed to his victory as the candidate of the conservative People's Party (OVP). However, by 2016, the political landscape had shifted, and anger towards the OVP and Social Democrats had built up, leading to the decline of these traditional mass parties.

Hofer's campaign leveraged this dissatisfaction and presented him as a different kind of candidate, one who wanted to be an active president rather than a ceremonial one. He intended to be a forceful presence in the Austrian political landscape, utilising the powers of the presidency to influence policy and push back against what his supporters saw as an overreaching state. This message found support among Austrians who felt their voices were not being heard by the established parties.

While Hofer ultimately lost the 2016 election to Alexander Van der Bellen, the narrow margin of victory and the need for a re-run highlighted the significant support for Hofer's platform and his slogan, "Power needs control." This support continued into subsequent elections, with the FPÖ gaining more seats and influence in Austrian politics.

He was the third president of Austria's National Council from 2013 to 2017

Norbert Gerwald Hofer is an Austrian politician who served as the third president of Austria's National Council from 2013 to 2017. He was born on March 2, 1971, in Vorau, Austria, and was raised in a middle-class family in Pinkafeld, Burgenland. Before entering politics, Hofer worked as an aeronautical engineer at Lauda Air Engineering from 1991 to 1994. He then joined the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and became a close advisor to its leader, Heinz-Christian Strache.

Hofer's political career began in provincial politics, serving as the provincial party secretary of the FPÖ in Burgenland from 1996 to 2007 and as a council member of the City of Eisenstadt from 1997 to 2007. He became the deputy regional party chairman in 2006 and served as vice president for Burgenland of the Österreichischer Zivilinvalidenverband from 2008 to 2012. During this time, he also held positions as an energy and environmental speaker and as an FPÖ spokesman for the disabled in the National Council.

On October 29, 2013, Hofer became the third president of Austria's National Council, succeeding Martin Graf. In 2016, he was chosen as the FPÖ's candidate for the Austrian presidential election. Hofer ran on a platform of putting Austria first and took a tough stance on the migrant crisis, which saw around 90,000 migrants apply for asylum in Austria. He won the first round of the election with 35.1% of the vote but ultimately lost the final runoff to Alexander Van der Bellen, who secured 53.8% of the vote.

Following his defeat, Hofer continued to serve in various political roles. He was a joint acting president of Austria alongside Doris Bures and Karlheinz Kopf until Van der Bellen was sworn into office in 2017. He then served as the Minister of Transport, Innovation, and Technology from 2017 to 2019 under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. In 2019, he became the leader of the Freedom Party before stepping down in 2021.

Hofer stepped down as leader of the Freedom Party in 2021

Norbert Gerwald Hofer, an Austrian politician born on March 2, 1971, was the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) from June 2019 to June 2021. He stepped down as party leader in June 2021, after losing a power struggle with Herbert Kickl, the party's secretary and Hofer's campaign manager in the 2016 presidential election.

Hofer's resignation came as a surprise to the party, which had long been polling in third place behind Kurz's conservatives and the opposition Social Democrats. In his resignation statement, Hofer, who had been using a cane since a paragliding accident in 2003, referred to recent treatment for back problems but did not explicitly state the reason for his departure. There had been reports of a rift with Kickl, who took a harder line on opposing coronavirus restrictions and attacking Kurz.

Hofer had served as Minister of Transport, Innovation, and Technology from 2017 to 2019 under Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He became the leader of the Freedom Party in September 2019, after holding the position in an acting capacity from May to September of that year.

The Freedom Party is a far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic political party in Austria. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021 and is the largest of five parties in the National Council, with 57 out of 183 seats. The party won 28.85% of the votes in the 2024 election and is represented in all nine state legislatures.

Frequently asked questions