Austrian president seeks re-election by first-round knock-out

FILE PHOTO: Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen presents election campaign posters for upcoming presidential elections in Vienna, Austria, September 23, 2022. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

VIENNA (Reuters) - Candidates in Austria's presidential election began wrapping up their campaigns on Friday ahead of Sunday's vote in which the incumbent and clear favourite, Alexander Van der Bellen, hopes he can secure a majority to avoid a run-off.

Most opinion polls have shown Van der Bellen, the 78-year-old former leader of the Greens, on slightly more than the 50% needed to win outright in the first round. That means the challenge is to mobilise his supporters and convince them that his victory is not assured.