The third president of the National Council, Norbert Hofer (FPÖ), does not want to run again in the election for federal president until 2028. “I think it would be smart for me and smart for the FPÖ and smart for the country if I skip this round and win the next one,” he said Friday.
His party will definitely put forward a candidate for the Hofburg election this fall, Hofer made clear, according to a TV station’s advance report. Who that will be, the committees would have to decide.
No candidacy if Van der Bellen runs for office
Hofer had already stressed that he could only imagine running for office in 2022 – assuming the approval of the committees – if the incumbent Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen did not run again. Van der Bellen has not yet declared his candidacy, but it is generally assumed that he will run again. In 2016, the former head of the Green Party won a clear runoff election against Hofer.