Greek PM welcomes result of Austrian presidential election

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has welcomed the results of the presidential election in Austria calling it “a breath of fresh air.”

In Austria, left-leaning Alexander Van der Bellen defeated right-wing rival Norbert Hofer, a victory welcomed by moderate politicians across Europe seeking to halt the wave of right-wing populism sweeping Western democracies.

“Congratulations to Van de Bellen for his election – a breath of fresh air in times when Europe is threatened by the rise of the far right,” Tsipras said in a Tweet late Sunday.

Congratulations to Pr. @vanderbellen for his election- a breath of fresh air in times when Europe is threatened by the rise of the far right

— Alexis Tsipras (@tsipras_eu) December 4, 2016