VIENNA (AP) – A right-wing politician with a good chance of becoming Austria’s next president insists he’s been misunderstood when people say he champions his country’s pullout from the union.
Norbert Hofer says he hopes that doesn’t happen, adding existence as a non-EU member “would be extremely difficult for Austria.”
In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press. Hofer acknowledged saying that he could see a referendum on EU membership for Austria similar to the one in Britain, as a last resort.
But he said he is confident the EU will reform itself so as to make such a vote unnecessary.
Hofer narrowly lost in May to a left-leaning candidate. The vote will be rerun in the fall after a court ruling that the original poll was flawed.