2023-10-23 09:51:31
Time.news – They will be the Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa and the ultra-liberal economist Javier Miley to face each other in the run-off for the presidency.
The counting of the ballots for the presidential elections in Argentina is almost complete (at 98.51%) and the Peronist candidate of the Unione por la Patria governing coalition, Sergio Massa, has increased his lead by 6.7 points over the candidate of La Libertà Javier Milei advances (far right), with whom he will compete in the run-off on November 19th.
The current Minister of Economy won the elections with 36.68% of the votes against 29.98% of the ultra-liberal economist: Massa managed to overturn the positions obtained in Paso, the primaries of 13 December last, when Milei had won with 29.86% of the votes and Massa had come second with 21.43%.
Over 9.6 million voters supported the Peronist candidate, despite the difficult socio-economic context affecting the country and him leading the economic ministry (annual inflation rose to 138.3% in September, a poverty level of 40 .1% and an exchange rate gap of over 200%). While almost 7.9 million Argentines supported the disruptive proposals of the libertarian candidate. In third position, and out of the ballot that will define who will lead Argentina from 10 December, the candidate of the opposition coalition Together for Change (centre-right), Patricia Bullrich: she finished with 23.83% of the votes, improving her position compared to the primaries (16.81%) but still lost consensus compared to August.
Massa and Milei will compete at runoff on November 19th and the winner will take office on December 10th. News of the results sparked celebrations at the election headquarters of the economy minister, the candidate of the Peronist ruling coalition that has dominated Argentine politics for decades.
Milei, who just turned 53, has promised to cut spending, make the dollar the country’s legal tender and abolish the central bank. Massa responded by cutting income taxes for much of the population, denouncing the risks of heavily cutting electricity and public transport subsidies.
Low turnout
74% of Argentine voters participated in the general elections, the lowest turnout since the return to democracy. So far, the lowest percentage was recorded in 2007, when 76.20% of voters went to the polls in the first round and gave victory to Cristina Fernandez. The highest turnout occurred in 1983, in the first democratic elections after the dictatorship (1976-1983), when 85.61% went to the polls, giving the candidate Raul Alfonsin a mandate.
One of the photos of the day @JMilei after casting the vote! pic.twitter.com/tA7g27BztM
— Enzo Pagani (@epaganioficial) October 22, 2023
The first words of Milei and Massa
Javier Milei, ultra-liberal candidate, celebrated “the historic elections” that took place in Argentina, launching an appeal to go to the polls next month with an eye on the voters of the candidate’s centre-right coalition Together for Change Patricia Bullrich, came third. “All of us who want change must work together,” she stressed, arguing that “Kirchnerism was the worst thing that happened in Argentina.”
“Two years ago we came to contest power against the most disastrous thing in the history of modern democracy,” Milei said. The leader of ‘La Libertà Avanza’ obtained 30.08% of the votes and will go to a run-off with Massa, current Minister of Economy and candidate of the Peronist formation Union for the Fatherland
Sergio Massa, the Peronist candidate for the presidency of Argentina, has promised to form a unity government if he wins the second round of the November 19 elections. “I will convene a government of national unity as president on December 10, asking for the best, regardless of their political strength,” he said.
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