Austrian president announces he is seeking re-election

FILE PHOTO: Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen looks on during a joint news conference with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (not seen) in Vienna, Austria May 11, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Leutner

VIENNA (Reuters) -Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, a 78-year-old former leader of the Greens, announced on Sunday he is standing for re-election this year to a second six-year term, which is likely to limit the number of candidates.

Van der Bellen is a popular figure who has been a steady hand in periods of turbulence including the scandal-tainted collapse of a ruling coalition between the conservative People's Party (OVP) and the far-right Freedom Party in 2019.