Argentine elections leave radical outsider and centrist economy minister in November runoff

[peppertree]

Argentines flocked to the polls on Sunday to vote in a national election where a far-right libertarian and the pragmatic economy minister lead three other candidates in the race for the presidency - and will proceed to a November 19th runoff.

With 82% of precincts reporting, centrist Peronist Economy Minister Sergio Massa, 51, leads with 36.1%; with far-right economist Javier Milei, 53, second with 30.4%; and right-wing former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, 67, eliminated with 23.7%.

Over 35 million voters were registered in this year's elections, held in nearly 17,000 precincts - plus 141 embassies and consulates worldwide.

Popular discontent in the economically troubled nation of 46 million depressed turnout somewhat, which at 77.6% was somewhat below the 81% registered in 2019 - but well above the 70% in nationwide primaries this August.

Voters also chose 130 congressional and 24 senate seats, as well as three governors and the mayor of Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof - whose province is home to 3 out of 8 Argentines - handily secured re-election with 45.2%, to right-wing challenger Néstor Grindetti's 26.2%.

A runoff, on the other hand, appears likely in the city of Buenos Aires - where right-wing candidate Jorge Macri (a cousin of the former president) has garnered 49.3% to center-left challenger Leandro Santoro's 32.3%.

Debt and democracy

Outgoing President Alberto Fernández, 64, opted out of running for re-election as he suffers from rock-bottom approval ratings amid annual inflation of over 138% - partly the result of a foreign debt "Macrisis" inherited from his right-wing predecessor, Mauricio Macri.

"We're in our 40th year of democracy, such that today is a particularly important day," President Fernández remarked after voting in Buenos Aires this morning.

This was the 10th presidential election held in Argentina since 1983, following a 7-year fascist dictatorship that presided over 30,000 "disappeared" and a foreign debt debacle that burdens to the country to this day.

Milei and his running mate, Victoria Villarruel, 48, have openly praised the last dictatorship.

At: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-heads-polls-grip-fierce-economic-crisis-2023-10-22/

Leading Argentine presidential candidates Sergio Massa (center-left), Patricia Bullrich (hard-right), and Javier Milei (far-right).

Representing the governing coalition, the pragmatic Massa will face off against the neo-fascist Milei in runoff elections this November.

[RandySF]

1. Has anyone noticed

That right wing parties do better in polling than they do in actual results?

[peppertree]

2. Good point

Argentine right-wing news media - and most of them are, for historic reasons (i.e. left-wing media was often quashed by past RW regimes) - was all in for that authoritarian lush Patricia Bullrich.

They had been giddy for Milei - until they realized he was insane, and would destroy the country's fragile economic balance.

But then, Bullrich would have too - since they both promised their donors to enact shock devaluation and deregulate capital flight.

This, as you may know, is exactly what triggered all four major crises in modern Argentine history: in 1981, 1989, 2001, and 2018.

Of course though, each of those crises were windfalls for local elites (the more speculative ones, anyway).

Thanks for reading and hearing your thoughts, Randy.

This just got that much more interesting.

[rso]

3. RSO

Looking good for Massa on November 19, Milei is only liked by his own cult.

[peppertree]

4. I hope you're right

It's a fine - and very frayed - economic balance they've managed to maintain, 4 years after Trump's pal Macri bankrupted the already indebted country.

A sharp turn to the right under Milei (or Bullrich) - with shock devaluation and deregulated capital flight - would mean ruin for them.

A lot of voters seem to have woken up to that fact.