The European Jewish Congress welcomed, Sunday, the victory of Alexander Van der Bellen over far-right candidate Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party in Austria's presidential election, and said it looks forward to working with the president-elect on issues of mutual interest and concern to the Jewish community.
EJC President Moshe Kantor said, “We join democrats and all right-minded people in Austria and across Europe in breathing a sigh of relief that the first openly racist and xenophobic head of state was not elected on our continent. This would not just have been a disaster for Austria but also for Europe, as it might have given a strong tailwind for other similar extremists across the continent, like the National Front leader Marine Le Pen who is competing in the upcoming French presidential elections.”