Here’s hoping for a “Van der Bellen effect”

Populism prospers because citizens’ concerns far exceed their hopes. And the tabloid press revels in it. 

The Australian political roller coaster in 2016 threatened to ruin the reputation of the Sec- ond Republic. The prospect of a presidential victory by the right- wing Freedom Party’s (FPÖ) candi- date, Norbert Hofer, seemed to confirm the worst opinions about a society leaning towards populism and xeno- phobia. There were procedural mis- takes which led first to the repetition of the vote and then to its further postponement. 

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