Mainstream relief as left-wing candidate defeats euroskeptic

Left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen triumphed over his right-wing rival on Sunday in the vote for Austria's presidency, a victory welcomed by moderate politicians across Europe as a blow against the populist forces looking to weaken the European Union.

While the Austrian presidency is a mostly symbolic post, it had attracted attention from across Europe as the next possible victory for populists after political outsider Donald Trump's presidential win in the United States and the Brexit vote in the United Kingdom.

"What happens here today has relevance for all of Europe," Van der Bellen said as he cast his ballot, later noting that his win showed most voters backed his message of "freedom, equality, solidarity".