(AFP) Norbert Hofer, who was formally elected on Saturday to lead Austria’s far-right party into national elections, has gained a reputation as the friendly face of the Freedom Party (FPOe) in contrast to some of its firebrands.
But sceptics say that behind the grin lurks a steely, dyed-in-the-wool ideologue.
In the run-up to national elections on September 29, Hofer has declared he wants to “put his stamp” on the party and see it in government again in a renewed coalition with the conservative People’s Party (OeVP).
It remains to be seen whether he can unify party hardliners behind him, as well as overcome a corruption scandal that led to the resignation of his predecessor and the collapse of the previous OeVP-FPOe government.
