“Change” is one of the most repeated words in the election campaign that ends this Sunday in Argentina in the second round of the presidential election; No one wants the country to continue in an inertia that leads directly to hyperinflation or for its politicians to continue insulting each other.
Undoubtedly, the opposition – of any of the formations that fought before the last time on November 19 – is the one that most defends the need to end the Government of Alberto Fernández (Peronism), which accumulated 142.7% year-on-year inflation, 40.1% poverty and an exchange gap of more than 200%.
The most extreme speech, that of the leader of La Libertad Avanza (ultra-right), Javier Milei, reached the runoff: “It is impossible to have a different Argentina of the same old ones.”
Opponent, the candidate of the Unión por la Patria (Peronismo), Sergio Massa, a member of the current Executive and responsible for the most entrusted portfolio, that of the Economy, will fight for the Presidency.
He also emphasized “reform” and defended the need to create a “Government of national unity” and sought “consensus”: “On December 10, the crack will die.”
uncertain outlook
Some 35.8 million Argentines are called to vote this Sunday in the second round of presidential elections that are very close and in the middle of celebrating 40 years of uninterrupted democracy after the end of the last military dictatorship (1976-1983 ). ).
The view is uncertain without a clear favorite. The polls show a technical tie, as some give the ruling party as the favorite and others the opposition; in both cases, with a slight advantage.
It is true that few trust the polls, after all, in the primaries of August, no one predicted the victory of Milei and, in the general election of October, no one gave Massa as the winner and they announced the victory of Milei, some even in the first round.
The decision is for a candidate who is responsible for the current economic portfolio – and its numbers – or for another who threatens the plans that, according to most experts, “cannot be fulfilled” and walks on a chainsaw as a metaphor for what he would do with public spending. many citizens will vote blank.
Estimates show that it will increase compared to 2% in the general election held on October 22, where, in addition, there was 22.3% abstention.
For this reason, one of the jobs of the campaign candidates is to try to convince those who did not vote and those who voted, but in favor of other candidates: among the center-right Patricia Bullrich (Together for Change) , the Dissident Peronist Juan Schiaretti (We Do for Our Country) and the leader of the Left Front Myriam Bregman added 8.8 million votes.
They can tip the balance, without their leaders – except for Bullrich – giving clues: Schiaretti and Bregman spoke in favor of the “neutrality” of the campaign, while the former Minister of Security forgot that Milei called him a “bomb-thrower” and He supported it to the point that he participated in his closing rally in Córdoba – the second electoral nucleus of the country and anti-Kirchnerist fiefdom.
Among other forces, including Together for Change, Massa raised his hand for his promised united Government and, to distance himself from the former president Cristina Fernández (2007-2015), who has been pulling the Peronist political strings in recent years, he said: “No one is in charge of me,” distinguishing himself from Alberto Fernández, who was announced as the current vice presidential candidate in 2019.
Enemy of Kirchnerism for many years and so close at one time to the former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) – who is now campaigning for Milei – that in 2016 he was elected as a member of his delegation to the Davos Forum, the Minister in The economy – called by his detractors “careerist” and “liar” – shows how to navigate the political field with cunning.
His opponent is a newbie in politics, an economist who has achieved the effect of television talk shows, who is a representative since 2021 and, in just two years, was able to give his forces a chance in politics to win the second round of the presidency.
No one can predict what will happen this Sunday, but what is expected is a “change.”
