Significance of Argentina mid-term elections results

Significance of Argentina mid-term elections results:

Chamber of Deputies (Representatives)

 With these results, Cambiemos will re-validate its first minority in the Chamber of Deputies, with 109 lawmakers of its own who can eventually join Martín Lousteau (former Argentine Ambassador of Argentina to the United States with Cambiemos who decided to run outside the party alliance) and Carla Carrizo, to reach 111. But this number will be 18 votes fewer than the required quorum to form a majority.

The Senate

Cambiemos will have 24 seats, with two possible allies: Carlos Reutemann (Province of Santa Fe and center Peronist) and Juan Carlos Romero (former Governor of Salta and now Senator for the Province, also a center Peronist). The so called Non-Kirchner Peronism can reach 26 seats between own and allies, while Cristina Kirchner will have nine seats. Therefore no political party will have its own quorum.

Province of Buenos Aires

In the province Cambiemos won, but for a small margin. Esteban Bullrich and Gladys González of Cambiemos were elected senators with 41.38% of the votes, compared to 37.25% of Cristina, who will join the Senate by the minority. The official candidate Graciela Ocaña, candidate for the Chamber of Representatives was the most voted with 3,895,946 votes in Buenos Aires, or 42.18%. The independent Peronist Sergio Massa failed definitely and finished third with only 11.32% of the votes and stayed out of Congress. He nevertheless was able to place four representative (deputies): Felipe Solá, Mirta Tundis, Daniel Arroyo and Jose Ignacio de Mendiguren. The Left within their reduced space placed two deputies Nicolás Del Caño and Romina Del Plá signaling a significant advance and a warning sign to the Peronist parties as they have claimed that they will become a strong active force and voice against labor reform. Cumplir, the space of Florencio Randazzo, who claimed to be the true Peronist, got only 5% but placed Eduardo Bucca as representative.

Buenos Aires City

In the City, Elisa Carrió maintained her electoral record, with 50.93% of the votes, even after being in the center of the questions during the last ten days of the campaign for her unfortunate statements about Santiago Maldonado (disappeared during a National Guard repression in the south of Argentina and finally found dead three days before the election). The official alliance of Buenos Aires, Vamos Juntos, thus managed to elect eight national deputies, followed by Unidad Porteña, the list headed by Daniel Filmus (Cristina Kiechner), who got 21.74% of the votes and got three seats. The former official Martin Lousteau will return to the Congress after obtaining 12.33% of the votes.

Santa Fe

Santa Fe was one of the provinces in which Cambiemos reversed the defeat of the primaries. The ballot of Albor Cantard got 37.78%, compared to 25.84% of the Kirchner Agustín Rossi, who will still return to the Chamber of Deputies. Very relegated left the local government of the Progressive Front, with 14.61% of the votes.

Other Provinces

The other provinces that Cambiemos reversed were Chaco, La Rioja (where Carlos Menem finished second by two and a half points and will enter the Senate by the minority) and Salta (with Juan Manuel Urtubey as great and surprising loser) and Cordoba where Cambiemos defeated the Peronist governor.

Conclusion:

The lessons from the results of this election can be clearly drawn:

•      Gradualism: the partial and timely progressive introduction of reforms paid off in the electoral vote.
•      Deregulation: the country will continue to eliminate unnecessary regulations and trade barriers
•    Globalization and trade integration: the government will pursue these goals in spite of signs from developed countries to the contrary
•     Labor reform: with caution it will accelerate conversations with the relevant unions to achieve a more flexible legal framework
•     Infrastructure development: with two years left for the next presidential elections, the government will continue with its ambitious plan.

As to inflation, it will continue to be the mother of all problems. Tariffs adjustments in the order of ten to fifteen percent will be implemented within the next six months. Many labor agreements include an automatic adjustment clause.

 The Government will still need political alliances to implement its policies.

 By Carlos E. Alfaro