Ideas & Articles

By Ricardo López Göttig In December 2015 assumed President Mauricio Macri in Argentina, after twelve years of three successive governments of the Peronists Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007-2011, 2011-2015). The great surprise of the general elections was the triumph of Mrs. María Eugenia Vidal as the first female governor of the Province of Buenos Aires, the most populated of the country, after 24 years of Peronist administrations. Nevertheless, the electoral coalition Cambiemos (Let's Change) obtained the first minority in the Chamber of Deputies, and just a third of the Senate. The upper house, since the restoration of constitutional order, has a Peronist majority. Last year, in October, the coalition Cambiemos won at the midterm elections in the most populated provinces, strengthening and expanding the number of seats in both chambers of the Congress. President Macri and Governor Vidal have many challenges: reduce high public...

By Ricardo López Göttig On 25 October are the general elections in Argentina. After twelve years of Kirchnerism, with Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Fernández de Kichner (2007-2011 and 2011-2015), the upcoming elections are the opportunity for a change. Of the two main opposition candidates, Mauricio Macri -mayor of Buenos Aires- has better chances to compete in the ballottage against governor Daniel Scioli. The third presidential candidate, Sergio Massa, is also of peronist origins, but he quit the party in 2013 in order to run for a seat in Congress. The main battlefield is the province of Buenos Aires, with 38% of total voters. Mr. Scioli is actually the governor, and after two terms in office, he is now running for president. But it's well known that governors of Buenos Aires never succeeded in presidential elections. Eduardo Duhalde, former governor of Buenos Aires, was elected president by the Congress in 2002, but not by popular vote. Mr. Scioli needs 40% o...