Sharjah 24 – AFP: Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has been re-elected, projections showed Sunday, on promises of stability as the Alpine country struggles with an energy crisis and inflation.
The projections showed the 78-year-old incumbent swept 54.6 percent of the votes with six other candidates -- all men -- lagging far behind.
The final official result is not expected until Monday.
Campaigning on a slogan of "clarity" and "stability", Van der Bellen had been widely tipped to clinch a second mandate.
Polls ahead of the election had suggested the pro-European liberal would secure more than 50 percent of the vote, thus avoiding a run-off.
Some 6.4 million people were eligible to cast their ballots from the European Union country's total population of nine million.
The presidential post, which has a term of six years, is largely ceremonial.
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