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The Peronist Government of the Argentine President Alberto Fernandez and the vice president Cristina Kirchner it suffered a strong defeat this Sunday in its first electoral test, the primaries to designate candidates for deputies and senators in the elections of November 14 next.
In the midst of a climate of disenchantment and a punishment vote, Together for Change, the center-right opposition coalition of the former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) won 40% of the vote at the national and general level against 30% of the ruling Frente de Todos, center-left.
In the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, voters gave Fernández-Kirchner a super beating, adding 75% of the opposition votes, versus 24.60% of the ruling party. In the province of Buenos Aires, the main electoral district, the opposition led Kirchner Peronism by five points. And it also triumphed in 17 of the 23 remaining provinces.
The president had to admit the reverse last night: “The people expressed themselves. We have not done something right so that the people do not accompany us as we expected. We listen with respect and attention to the verdict of the people,” he said in a speech. Macri replied: “This is a clear message from Argentina that said enough to the lie. We are beginning to see the end of populism.”
In the parliamentary elections of next November, half of the Congress and a third of the Senate will be renewed. The results would seem to predict, if these numbers are repeated, that the Frente de Todos would lose the majority of seats of deputies and the quorum among the senators.
PASO
This Sunday was a “Primary, Open, Simultaneous and Compulsory” (STEP) election. It is a type of election created in 2009 by then-President Kirchner, with the intention that the political parties democratize the appointment of their candidates.
However, as Argentina is a country of “made the law, made the trap”, the now vice president Kirchner, de facto head of the ruling coalition, carried her own creature, the PASO, and chose the official candidates with a ‘finger’ .
Thus, there was a single ballot from the Frente de Todos, both in Buenos Aires capital and in the province. There was no internal competition between official candidate candidates. In this way, what should be a primary became a simulation. The opposition, on the other hand, did settle the bid for pre-candidates.
The PASO became more than anything a plebiscite or referendum of the Fernández administration, who has been in the Casa Rosada for 20 months and has been losing popularity. Its positive image collapsed from 61% to 37% in August. And the refusal has climbed up to 60%, according to surveys.
Considered a vicarious president of Vice President Kirchner, some mock him by calling him “Cristina’s puppet” on social media and television shows. In 2019 she knew she couldn’t win if she was presidential. Then he appointed him as a candidate, a politician with a reputation for being moderate and loyal.
General view of a voting center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Efe
Economy, Covid-19 …
The electoral trick worked and the Peronist Kirchnerism defeated the president and center-right magnate, Mauricio Macri, by eight points, returning to power after the three previous presidencies: from Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Kirchner (2007-2011 / 2011-2015).
But the management has been uphill for Fernández who does not manage to get his measurements right. The economy is slowly restarting after three years of depression. Inflation of 50% per year eats away at wages. And pessimism spreads, thousands of young people dream of emigrating to Europe or North America.
The Covid-19 pandemic also contributed to increasing social bad mood, especially due to the strict quarantine of almost eight months decreed by Fernández in 2020. Despite this extreme measure, the virus has caused 113,000 deaths out of 5.5 million people. cases. In vaccination, 63.81% of the 45 million inhabitants of Argentina have received a dose and 40.52% a complete dose.
Perhaps out of fear of contagion and the spread of Covid, absenteeism marked the primaries. Although voting is compulsory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 70, only 67% of the 34.3 million eligible voters turned out to vote. It has been the lowest citizen participation since the restoration of democracy in 1983.
The elections confirmed that the political system is divided into two great antagonistic coalitions. One, the Frente de Todos, with the leadership of Cristina Kirchner commanding the center-left forces. Saving all the distances, something similar to the PSOE more United We can alliance. In fact, Iñigo Errejón greeted the ruling coalition on Twitter.
“The crack”
The other, Together for Change, of center and center-right, and the leadership of former President Macri. If you want an alliance similar to the sum of the Popular Party and Citizens.
The candidate Cinthia Fernández dances a tango in a campaign video.
Argentines live divided and polarized around that political bifurcation called “the crack.” So much so, that many friends and family stopped talking to each other because they were in conflict. And even in dating applications, users specify whether they are ‘K’ (Kirchnerist) or ‘anti K’, so as not to run into dysfunctional surprises on the first date.
The campaign showed surreal pearls. For example, the Kirchnerist pre-candidate Victoria Tolosa Paz (33% of the vote) proudly proclaimed: “In Peronism it was always garchó (NdlR: follo)”. Immediately the social networks caught fire and began to call her Victoria “Golosa” Paz.
But the summertime was the pre-candidate Cinthia Fernandez (1% of votes). He shot a video almost naked dancing tango in front of the parliament. “Why so much nerve? This ass is a simple and cheap campaign strategy”, he was honest.
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Reference-www.elespanol.com