Europe came within a hair of having its first far-right head of state in the post-war era, but Austria's Interior Minsiter Wolfgang Sobotka announced that right-wing Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer has lost the second round run-off election to Alexander van der Bellen.

The margin of victory was 31,000 votes, out of more than 4.6 million ballots cast, with Van der Bellen winning 50.3 percent. Turnout was 72.7 percent.

"Of course I am sad," Hofer said on Facebook. "But please don't be disheartened. The effort in this election campaign is not wasted, but is an investment for the future."

Voting on Sunday ended with Hofer, 45, narrowly ahead of independent candidate Van der Bellen, 72, who was backed by the Green Party.

But 700,000 absentee ballots, representing about 10 percent of the electorate,were decisive in determining the winner.

Hofer was ahead by 3.8 percent after the on-site ballots were counted Sunday night, but a large majority of the absentee ballots came from better educated voters, who overwhelmingly backed Van der Bellen

Austria’s presidency is a largely ceremonial position but the office holder does have the power to dissolve the Cabinet.

Austria has been ruled by a left-right duopoly for much of its post-war history. The Social Democrats (SPO) lead a coalition government with their conservative counterpart, the People’s Party (OVP).

But both mainstream parties failed to get their respective candidates into the final round of the presidential election.

(DW)