Final count confirms Van der Bellen's win

Austria's Interior Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Van der Bellen had won 53.8 percent of the vote over the weekend.

The moderate Van der Bellen finished the race with some 7.6 percent more votes than his far-right opponent, Austrian Interior Ministry announced after counting the postal ballots on Tuesday.

Hofer conceded defeat shortly after the polls closed on Sunday. He previously faced Van der Bellen in May and lost by a narrow margin of 0.7 percent, but Austria's top court annulled the result because of counting irregularities and ordered a new vote.

According the provisional final count, Van der Bellen won some 200,000 votes more on Sunday compared to the May vote. Observers noted particularly strong support for Van der Bellen among women and well-educated people.

Hofer wants another round

The election outcome is an important victory for European moderates with the EU shaken by Brexit, Donald Trump's win in the US, and the Italian referendum on constitutional reform.

On Tuesday, the far-right politician, Hofer, announced he would run for president again after Van der Bellen's term expires in 2022.

Next time, the results might "look different," he said after the final tally was announced. "I hope I will win then."

dj/kms (dpa, Reuters)