In the Argentine presidential election held on the 22nd, attention is focused on whether far-right economist Javier Millais (53), candidate for the Liberty Forward Party, who won a surprise victory in the primary election on August 13, will take first place as expected. Candidate Millay has been leading the way with support in the 30% range in various opinion polls since the primary election. Sergio Massa (51, current Minister of Economy), a member of the ruling left-wing Peron Party, has been trying hard to win public support by using a cash-rich welfare card after losing in the primary election, and Patricia Bullić (67, a candidate for the right-wing opposition coalition) Former Minister of Security) is also emphasizing the dangers of a far-right president.
However, the final winner is expected to emerge in the runoff election on November 19 according to the rule that the winner is elected if he or she receives more than 45% of the votes, or receives more than 40% and widens the gap with the second place by more than 10 percentage points. There is analysis that this is the ‘most uncertain presidential election’ in Argentina’s history.
Millay has led in most opinion polls since the primary, but has never received more than 40%.
According to the results announced on the 10th by DC Consulting, a local public opinion polling company, candidate Millais ranked first with 35.6%, candidate Bullich ranked second with 28.9%, and candidate Massa ranked third with 26.2%. In a survey released by CB Consultants on the 11th, Candidate Millay took the lead with 29.9%, and Candidate Massa came in a close second with 29.1%. Candidate Patricia was third with 21.8%.
In a situation where the economic crisis continues with annual inflation exceeding 140%, candidate Millais made unconventional pledges, such as introducing the dollar to replace the scrapped Argentine peso with the dollar, closing the central bank, cutting government spending, and allowing organ trading.
Benjamin Gedan, Argentina expert and director of the U.S. think tank Wilson Center, told the BBC on the 21st that “the strong support for Candidate Millais is due to anti-government sentiment following 10 years of sluggish growth and the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic.” Regardless of the possibility of realizing pledges such as the introduction of the dollar, they are attracted to the idea of bringing forward reforms that are close to revolution.
Carrying a chainsaw to a campaign site and putting on a flashy performance saying, “We will cut unnecessary government subsidies and put an end to the parasite-like class (caste) of established politicians” is also attracting the attention of voters. However, there is a lot of antipathy from women due to the ban on abortion and the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality.
There is also high interest in Vice Presidential candidate Victoria Villarruel (48), Millay’s running mate. Candidate Villarruel, the current member of the House of Representatives, comes from a military family that participated in Argentina’s last military dictatorship (1976-1983). His father, Eduardo Villaruel, was a commando instructor who participated in the 1975 operation to suppress the People’s Revolutionary Army, a left-wing guerrilla, in the northern city of Tucuman, and his uncle was a former intelligence officer.
He has emphasized the need to reevaluate various criminal acts, such as distress and disappearances, committed by the government during the military dictatorship. Regarding the 30,000 people who went missing at the time, he claimed that the number of missing people was exaggerated, saying, “That number is a ‘myth.’” He also said, “We must not remain silent about the violence committed by guerrilla organizations.”
Candidate Millay announced that if elected, he would entrust Villarruel with the security and defense sectors. Spanish media outlet El Pais reported, “While Candidate Millais pledged to cut government spending in most areas, including science, health, and education, Candidate Villarruel promised to increase the military budget.”
Candidate Villarruel is also receiving a lot of attention on social media for his demagoguery. Skidata, a local marketing company, analyzed social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram from August 14 to September 8, and found that there was a lot of support related to Villarruel (posting posts on Twitter and Facebook, and ‘liking’ on Instagram). The act of clicking ‘ was 42%, a wide gap between the vice presidential candidates of the ruling Peron Party (32%) and the right-wing opposition coalition (18.5%).
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.