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IMAGO / Xinhua

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Argentina has voted

by Susanne Käss

Peronism is alive

Presidential and legislative elections were held in Argentina on October 22. Contrary to almost all predictions, incumbent Economy and Finance Minister Sergio Massa of the ruling Unión por la Patria alliance won the most votes with 36.68%, ahead of self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist Javier Milei (La Libertad Avanza) with 29, 98%, Patricia Bullrich (Juntos por el Cambio) with 23.83%, Juan Schiaretti (Hacemos por nuestro país) with 6.78% and Myriam Bregman (Frente de Izquierda y de Trabajadores - Unidad) with 2.7%. Thus, Sergio Massa and Javier Milei will face off in a runoff election on November 19. After finishing only in third place in the primary elections on August 13, the Peronist government alliance succeeded, against all expectations, in mobilizing the entire Peronist apparatus. Thus, the elections turned out similarly surprising and unpredictable as the August elections. Thus, everything remains open in the race for the presidency, but the majorities in the National Congress and the distribution of power in the provinces have already been determined (for the most part).
October 24, 2023 Ordering Information

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Sergio Massa, the master of metamorphosis

Sergio Massa started the election campaign as the minister of economy and finance of an unpopular government with disastrous economic data. He was punished for this in the primaries: only 27.28% of voters gave their vote to the two candidates of Unión por la Patria, a historically bad result for Peronism. Since August 13, Sergio Massa has succeeded in doing something that many had thought impossible: He staged himself as the face of renewal and emphasized that his term of office would begin after the election with the swearing-in of the new government on December 10 - and this despite the fact that, as acting Minister of Economy and Finance, he is largely responsible for the disastrous economic policies, the country is struggling with an inflation rate currently close to 140%, and the dollar exchange rate set by the state and the parallel rate on the black market are drifting dramatically apart. All this has had devastating consequences for the import economy and market pricing.

 

The full-length publication is only available in German.

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Contact

Susanne Käss

Susanne Käss bild

Head of KAS Argentina / Head of KAS Brazil (acting)

susanne.kaess@kas.de +54 11 4326-2552

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