Austria’s highest court has annulled the country’s recent presidential elections and called for a re-run.
The Constitutional Court upheld the challenge made by the far-right Freedom Party which suffered a narrow defeat in May.
Party leader Norbert Hofer lost by only 30,863 votes to Alexander Van der Bellen, an independent candidate supported by the Green Party.
The Freedom Party launched its legal challenge on 8 June, claiming “massive irregularities,” such as allegations that thousands of ballots were opened earlier than election rules allowed and that some votes were counted by unauthorised individuals.
Press reports indicate that the new election for the largely ceremonial role will take place in September or October, leaving most of the summer for citizens to responder.
Recently, the Freedom Party has been gaining support, according to opinion polls, because of unease over immigration.
With sentiment similar to French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, Hofer said after the British referendum result that he favours holding a referendum in Austria if the EU fails to implement necessary reforms "within a year".
"If (the EU) evolves in the wrong direction, then in my opinion the time has come to ask the Austrians if they still want to be part of it," Hofer told the tabloid paper Oesterreich on June 26.
Van der Bellen, on the other hand, is a supporter of the EU. On Friday he said he is “very confident” of being elected again.
