Elections in Argentina over the weekend saw Peronista presidential candidate Sergio Massa come out ahead of predicted winner, libertarian Javier Milei, although the country will have to go to a second round of elections.
Massa, candidate for Unión por la Patria, obtained 36.44% of the vote (8.9 million votes), while Milei, candidate for La Libertad Avanza, earned 30.11% (7.4 million). In third place, with 23.86% (5.8 million votes) was Patricia Bullrich, former Minister of Security during the presidency of Mauricio Macri and candidate for the conservative party Juntos por El Cambio.
Since no candidate won 45% of the vote, or 40% with ten points of advantage over the next most voted option, a second round will take place on November 19.
Massa celebrated that, though he failed to win the presidency, his share of the vote increased 15% compared to the primaries. He noted that 2023 also marks 40 years since the end of the last military junta to govern Argentina. Since then, leftist Peronist politics and economic policy have dominated the country, and the establishment.
“I am convinced that this is not a sh***y country, as they say, it is a great country,” he said.
He highlighted the social welfare system, particularly public education, and said his objective is “to build more order, security, non-improvisation” and “to build clear rules against uncertainty.”
Bullrich accepted her defeat but noted that the conservative cause goes on.
“Our cause goes beyond an electoral moment,” she said. “Our securities are not sold or bought, we are not going to negotiate them. We are going to change whenever Argentina needs changing. It must abandon populism if it wants to end poverty .”
Massa won his widest victory in the province of Buenos Aires, surpassing Milei by more than 17 percentage points. His party also won the governorship of the province.
Milei, who was the predicted winner in pre-election polls, did not see the results as a defeat.
He highlighted his party’s rapid raise and the fact that it guaranteed presence in parliament. He is also still hopeful about the second round of elections.
“We have a vehicle to beat Kirchnerism. Let’s make use of it. They are not the majority. For me, last night shows the upper limits of Massa’s support and that we are well situated. We can beat them,” Milei said.
Massa’s gains may be a Pyrrhic victory. Voter participation increased 70% to 78% from the primary to the first round of elections, with Massa benefiting most from the increased voter turnout. Juntos por el Cambio lost 200,000 votes compared to the primaries. Nevertheless, compared to 2019, peronism has already lost 3.5 million votes in this election, according to the Argentine newspaper La Nación.
In a clearly divided country, both candidates are calling for national unity under their banner.
Massa called for a government of national unity in his victory speech on Sunday, while Milei invited all Argentines into his fold.
“I’m willing to shuffle and give again, and all those who want to embrace the ideas of freedom and side with us against Kirchnerism are welcome,” he said in a clear invitation to those from Juntos por el Cambio to join his ranks.
