AFPEA billboard showing presidential candidates Javier Milei and Ramiro Marra
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 15:41
Nina Jurna
South America correspondent
Nina Jurna
South America correspondent
Argentina goes to the polls today to elect a new president. These have been called the most important elections in years.
The South American country with 45 million inhabitants is in a deep economic crisis. Inflation has risen to 140 percent annually and 40 percent of Argentines live in poverty. Many people are fed up with the fact that Argentina, which has entered a major recession at least six times in the past decade, is slipping further and further away. They want change.
Economic malaise
The most important theme these elections is the economy. The left-wing government of President Alberto Fernández spends much more than it brings in. Inflation has continued to rise due to money printing. And then there is the oppressive IMF loan that the country took out in 2018: a $44 billion loan that in return requires significant cuts in government subsidies.
Since the pandemic and last year’s persistent drought, which caused soy harvests to fail, things have continued to go downhill. Many Argentinians no longer trust the traditional political parties. Both left and right, who governed alternately between 2015 and 2019, have made a mess of things in their eyes.
Former pop star is political newcomer
One of the candidates who can benefit from the great discontent and has a great chance of winning these elections is the political newcomer and far-right candidate Javier Milei (52). He is an economist and former pop star and has been in national politics since 2021 with the La Libertad Avanza party. He is an anti-establishment candidate, someone who does not come from the traditional parties and claims to stand for radical freedom and change.
The chainsaw needs to be put in, Milei shouts. By this he means that rigorous cuts must be made to the money-guzzling government apparatus. For example, Milei has already predicted that a large number of ministries will be closed down if he comes to power. And he also wants to close down the Central Bank. Milei wants to move away from the local currency, the peso, and introduce the dollar instead.
Javier Milei, sometimes with chainsaw in hand, waged a tough campaign to demolish what he saw as Argentina’s rotten institutions:
With a chainsaw on the campaign trail: Javier Milei, the Argentinian Trump
In terms of his ultra-right ideas, he has been compared to former American president Trump and the former president of Brazil, Bolsonaro. Like her, Milei is a populist. He also shares certain ideas with these leaders, for example relaxing gun legislation and banning abortion. Like Trump and Bolsonaro, Milei sees the left as a great danger.
Yet Milei also has contradictory ideas that do not fit the profile of the ultra-right. For example, he is in favor of legalizing soft drugs and is tolerant of the LGBTI movement and gender issues. Furthermore, he also has some very extreme ideas. For example, he wants to legalize the trade in organs.
In the primary elections in August, Milei won with 30 percent of the votes and emerged as the big surprise. It is especially popular among young people. Many of them have only experienced Argentina as a country in crisis. They want radical change. His rock star image and slick TikTok videos have increased his popularity among young voters.
Opposing candidates from traditional quarters
The other two candidates playing a role in these elections come from Argentina’s more traditional political parties. Sergio Massa (51) is the current Minister of Economic Affairs. He is known as a pragmatic leader and someone who can negotiate well. Although he is affiliated with a left-wing party, Massa is more someone who functions on the right flank within the party.
Although many Argentinians are disappointed in the current government, Massa as a person seems to still be able to count on some trust from the Argentinians. He replaced the previous Minister of Economic Affairs and he promises to invest more in employment if he becomes president.
Finally, there is Patricia Bullrich (67). She is a former Minister of Security under right-wing former President Mauricio Macri. In addition to the economy, security is also an important election theme. Bullrich promises to tackle crime tough. She plans to build state-of-the-art prisons to incarcerate drug criminals, expand the security apparatus and advocate more police on the streets.
Argentinians can vote today between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. To win, a candidate must receive 45 percent of the vote, or 40 percent with a lead of 10 percentage points. If no one achieves this, there will be a second round on November 19. Then the battle will be between the two candidates with the highest score.
2023-10-22 13:41:45
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