Shaken Austrian government pledges action after far-right surge

By Shadia Nasralla and Francois Murphy VIENNA (Reuters) - Austria's centrist government, shaken by a near-victory by the far right in presidential elections, said on Tuesday it would take action on immigration and boost security in an effort to win back voters. The anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPO), whose candidate lost by a whisker to an environmentalist, said it accepted its candidate Norbert Hofer had been defeated, but would examine what it called numerous reports of voting irregularities. Europe's political establishment, challenged in many countries by resurgent populist and anti-immigration parties, breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when postal ballots swung the election in favor of Alexander Van der Bellen in a dramatic photo-finish.

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