The extreme right candidate Javier Milei should not go to the second round of the presidential elections in Argentina, but it will be important to help define the result of the election, he told CNN Mauricio Santoro, political scientist and collaborator at the Navy’s Center for Political-Strategic Studies.
The polls show that Milei should get around 20% of the votes in the electoral primaries this Sunday (13), which would not take him to the second round, but would make him important for the incoming opposition candidate, says Santoro.
“Probably, that person, be it [Patricia] Bullrich or Horacio Larreta, will need Milei’s support, which will lead the opposition’s discourse to be more radical than it would be under normal circumstances, because it will have to court the Mieli electorate”, he explained.
Former Minister of Public Security Patricia Bullrich and the mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Larreta, are the names from the center and right that are most likely to run for president with the government candidate.
Despite Milei having performed better results in the past months, his candidacy waned with the electorate after his party, Liberdade Avança, accumulated public defeats.
Among them, not being able to hold any office in the regional elections a few weeks ago and involvement in corruption allegations for the sale of public offices.
The party has the fight against corruption as one of its political pillars.
“Milei was, a few months ago, the great sensation of this campaign in Argentina. And it was believed that he had the possibility of surprising, being a candidate with chances of winning the presidency. In recent months, however, Milei’s candidacy has been greatly weakened”, says the political scientist.
Economy in the spotlight
The main topic to be discussed in Argentina’s elections is the economy, as the country is experiencing crises with inflation of more than 100% a year.
For this reason, the opposition must harshly criticize the Peronist administration. On the other hand, the government candidate is the current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, who is running under the idea that he is the “worst minor”.
VIDEO – What are the consequences of the PF operation for Bolsonaro
“It is contradictory, in this scenario, that the Minister of Economy is the government candidate. But Massa took over that position a few months ago, at the end of last year. And there is a perception in the financial market that it’s bad with Massa, but worse without him. That’s the card he’s been playing.”
Even so, Massa represents, within Peronism, a more centrist, more liberal group, historically more critical of leftist groups. “It’s almost certain that, tomorrow, Massa will come out as the government’s candidate”, says the professor.
“Probably, if the opposition wins, what Argentina would have in the coming months would be a structural adjustment package, cutting public spending, in an attempt to contain inflation, which, at least in the short term, would mean a recession ( …) There is a very considerable chance that the opposition will win the October elections”, he concludes.
*Produced by Elis Franco, from CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
