French PM `relieved` Austrian ecologist beat far-right presidential rival

Paris: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Monday voiced "relief" over Austrian green-backed candidate Alexander Van der Bellen`s razor-thin victory over his far-right rival in the presidential election run-off.

"Relief to see the Austrians reject populism and extremism," Valls tweeted about the result from Sunday`s cliff-hanger vote. "Everyone in Europe should learn from this."