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The officer’s triumph Sergio Massa with almost seven points ahead of the libertarian economist Javier Melei It was the surprise of first round of presidential elections Sunday in Argentina. Both will compete in the second round on November 19th.
Pasta51 years old, is the current Economy minister of Argentina in the Peronist government Alberto Fernández. He is accused of being one of the causes of the serious crisis that the country is experiencing, which has recorded annual inflation of almost 140% as of September and a poverty level of 40.1%. None of this prevented his enormous recovery in relation to what he achieved in the Simultaneous and mandatory open primary elections (PASO) last August.
LOOK: Argentina 2023 Election Results LIVE: Massa wins the first round and will compete in the second round with Milei
In STEP, Pasta obtained 21.43% of the votes, while Milei he got 29.86%. Due to this context and the results of research published before the elections Sunday, October 12th libertarian he was the big favorite to come first, with a clear advantage, although insufficient to avoid the second round.
But the opposite happens. For 99% of the tables examined, PastaFrom information Union for the Fatherland, obtained 36.68% of the votes; while Mileiin Advances of Freedomreached 29.98%. Thus, Peronism gained around 2 million more votes than those obtained in PASO. Furthermore, he regained eight of the provinces where he had lost in August. Why Pasta achieved this unexpected return?
According to an analysis of the results carried out by the newspaper La Nación, Massa won by far in the province of Buenos Aires and recovered votes in the north of the country. While Milei kept 10 electoral districts out of the 16 he won in the August primaries.
In the province of Buenos Aires, Massa surpassed 43% of the votes. This supported his victory at the national level, since in relation to PASO he increased his electoral flow by more than 10 percentage points in the electoral district that brings together 40% of the country’s registration, says La Nación.
Milei improved only one percentage point in the province of good air. While Patricia Bullrichwhich was in third place on Sunday, fell by at least 6%, indicates the Argentine newspaper.
La Nación cited other examples of Massa’s return. In Tucumán The Peronist obtained 45% of the votes, while in PASO it barely exceeded 30%. While Milei On August 13th it obtained more than 35% and on Sunday it maintained this support, but Bullrich It lost more than seven percentage points and remained at 14%.
In the province of JujuyMilei maintained the support she obtained in the primaries, but Pasta He increased his performance by 11 percentage points and rose to 31% of the vote. Bullrichwho had obtained 23% in PASO, now did not reach 20%.
Pasta enraptured Rio Preto for Mileisince it achieved 37% of the votes – in PASO it obtained 26% – and the libertarian He came in second with 33%, despite only getting 37% in the primary.
But what was the strategy? Pasta? According to analysts, managed to unify the Peronist votethe political force that dominated Argentina in the last decades.
During PASO, analysts interpreted that Pasta it was better for him to compete in the second round with Milei before with Bullrich, which is why he did not attack the libertarian. The radical proposals for Milei They were easier to defeat than a program led by the center-right candidate.
La Nación explained how the final stretch of the first round campaign went: Patricia Bullrich promised order and bi-monetary system as an alternative to the multiple exchange rates in force in the country. For your part, Javier Milei He called for dollarization and not to try to “change with the same old things”. Both were looking for an adjustment: Together for Change (Bullrich) focused on the State; and Freedom Advances in what Milei calls “caste”.
The proposals of his rivals gave rise to Union for the Fatherland seed the idea that “They come for everything, they come for their rights”highlights La Nación.
They come for their rights, it can also be interpreted as they come for subsidies, for their pockets. The Nation indicated that in Argentina There are 18.7 million people who in some way receive money from the State, including retirees, pensioners, beneficiaries of social plans, deprivation pensions, etc. Additionally, there are around 3.8 million civil servants. According to Peronists, all of this is in danger if Massa doesn’t win.
“At Aerolíneas Argentinas a video was edited in which it was presented (for Pasta) as the only option, since the others ‘would like to close the flag line’; on trains, they assured passengers that their fares would skyrocket from $56 to $1,100 on every screen; and so it was in every corner of the public sector, where The communication ‘device’ worked perfectly. The macroeconomy and the US$3.5 million deficit that state trains represent were very distant for a population immersed in hopelessness and fatigue, which was revealed by all the surveys that reflect the climate of 2023,” he wrote in La Nación journalist José del Río.
At the end of August, Pasta He also announced a series of measures to combat devaluation and accelerated inflation, something that was interpreted by experts and his opponents as an attempt by the Government to win votes for the official candidate before the October elections.
At that time, the opposition called “Platita Plan”. The Nation explains that Pasta decree reimbursement of 21% of purchases in supermarkets, regardless of whether it is a staple food item, an appliance or a luxury product. Postponed the increase in energy and transport tariffs; decreed a bonus of 20 thousand pesos for the unemployed and another of 94 thousand pesos for informal workers; launched tax benefits for self-employed workers; monthly reinforcement for retirees; a fixed amount for private sector employees; reinforcements in the Food and Training Work Card, and a new Pre-Travel program, among other measures.
If a simple sum is made, it would be said that Milei Victory is already assured on November 19th, because for ideological reasons the votes of Bullrich They would have to go libertarian, which would exceed 50%. But the situation is not so easy. Furthermore, the context shows that In the past, Massa moved closer to the center-right until he contributed to a presidential victory.
On Sunday night, after the results were known, Milei was the first to give a speech. He said it was “a historic day” for having managed, in just two years of his party’s existence, “the struggle for power is the most disastrous thing that modern history has seen”, Kirchnerismthat “it’s the worst thing that happened to Argentina”.
Then continued PastaWho called for “a unity government”, and stated that, with him, “the rupture is over” as of December 10, when the next president of the Argentina.
“I want to urge you to have the ability to put an end to the idea of destroying others, the idea of friend/enemy. “If there is one thing that became clear in this election, it is that crack is dead and a new stage is beginning,” he said.
The choice is between “a country that embraces us all or a country of everyone for themselves”, he added.
He also asked for the vote of those who were inclined to abstain in the first round.
President Alberto Fernández and Vice President Cristina Kirchner were not present at Massa’s celebration., with whom he gets along badly. He also did not mention them in his speech.
But Pasta He was not always far from Kirchnerism. In 2007, then president Cristina Kichner appointed him chief of staff, following the resignation of Alberto Fernández. Massa was in office for two years.
In 2009 he returned to Tigre city hall, where he began to chart his political future.
He formed his party, Renewal Frontwith whom he competed elections 2015 in relation to the current Kirchnerist of Peronism.
In that year’s presidential elections Pasta faced Daniel Sciolicalled to be the successor of Cristina KirchnerIt is Mauricio Macrithe right-wing candidate.
Pasta came in third place with 21% of the votes, behind Macri and Scioli, which went to the second round.
In the second round, Massa supported Macriwho ended up winning the elections and became president of the Argentina.
“With Kirchnerism I don’t even go to the cornerbecause the only thing that Kirchnerism has to explain at this stage are the fields, the hotels, the planes… I have nothing to do with it… Never again, for me it’s a finished stage”, he said. Pasta in 2015, when he highlighted Cristina Kirchner seek parliamentary immunity against a possible conviction for corruption when it was presented to the elections for the Senate.
Source: Elcomercio
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