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The candidate from the government bloc came first with 36.6% in the first round of voting, despite a weak economy and record inflation. His rival, an anti-system candidate, received 30% of the vote.
Published on October 23rd, 2023 06:49 Updated on October 23rd, 2023 08:02
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Sergio Massa, Argentine Minister of Economy and presidential candidate, speaks to his activists after the first round of elections on October 22, 2023 in Buenos Aires. (JUAN MABROMATA / AFP)
A centrist economy minister, Sergio Massa, and an ultra-liberal “anarcho-capitalist,” Javier Milei, will face off in the second round of Argentina’s presidential election. The candidate from the government bloc (center-left) came first in the first round of voting on Sunday, October 22, with 36.6% of the vote, according to preliminary results of more than 97% of ballots counted. His rival, who wants to “cut up” the state, received 30% of the vote.
This result confirms Javier Milei’s breakthrough since his breakthrough in politics two years ago, even if it is below what the polls had predicted for him. Former polemicist on Argentine television, Javier Milei, entered politics in 2021. As a deputy in Buenos Aires, he quickly gained popularity thanks to his radical proposals and his “freedom” theme against a “parasitic caste”. His proposals, such as “dollarizing” the economy to replace the peso with the greenback, have sowed doubt and even concern.
To be elected in the first round, a candidate had to receive at least 45% of the vote, i.e. 40% but with a lead of 10% over the runner-up. The opposition bloc’s (center-right) candidate Patricia Bullrich, a former security minister under the protection of former Liberal president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), was eliminated with 23.8%. Sergio Massa and Javier Milei will compete in the second round on November 19th, with an eye on the inauguration on December 10th.
Argentines voted in a climate of uncertainty and concern, rare since the return of democracy 40 years ago, against a backdrop of chronic debt, inflation among the highest in the world (138%) and a currency that has been… 2013 constantly losing value for 2 years. Sergio Massa promised to convene “a government of national unity” if elected, a first in democratic Argentina, and made an appeal “to all who share our democratic values.”
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