Modern societies have problems with social cohesion. Austria’s problem is with adhesion. The envelopes for the postal ballots in the presidential revote scheduled for October don’t stick, the interior ministry announced this week. He hinted that he might have to postpone the election. Some allege the crisis has been manufactured to keep country’s hard-right, anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) out of power. Some worry it will bring them to power.

In May’s elections for the largely ceremonial post of president, Austrians kicked out the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and Christian Democrats (ÖVP), who had divvied up the country for most of the last two generations. The run-off pitted Alexander van der Bellen (a rare smoker in the Green Party), who was supposed to win in a cakewalk against the right-winger Norbert Hofer. In the end Van Der Bellen just squeaked it out. In fact, without the postal votes counted at the end, Hofer would have won.