Austria presidential election 'has relevance for all of Europe'

Left-leaning candidate Alexander Van der Bellen has said that the presidential election he hopes to win has meaning well beyond Austria.

Mr Van der Bellen, a former leading member of the Greens Party, is running against right-wing populist Norbert Hofer and the results are seen as a barometer of how well other Eurosceptic candidates like Mr Hofer will do elsewhere in the EU in national elections next year.

He said as he cast his ballot that "what happens here today has relevance for all of Europe".

The election is a rerun from May, which Mr Van der Bellen narrowly won. It is being held again following a court ruling after Mr Hofer's Freedom Party claimed widespread irregularities.

Austria's presidency is a mostly ceremonial post. Results are expected late on Sunday but the winner may not be known until absentee ballots are counted on Monday.