Argentina will head to run off presidential elections after the Unión por la Patria or the Union for the Homeland candidate, Sergio Massa, the current economy minister, secured an unanticipated 36% of the votes on Sunday, October 22.
The result represents a significant shift compared to the results of the PASO, or primary election, that took place in August when the far-right candidate, Javier Milei, from the Libertad Avanza or Liberty Advances, emerged as the frontrunner.
Milei held onto the 30% of votes he received during the PASO, while Patricia Bullrich, the candidate of the conservative Junto por el Cambio or Together for Change (JxC), came in third with 23% of the vote. These results mean that Argentinians will return to the polls once more in November to vote for their next president.
Milei’s supporters have already alleged electoral fraud, a tactic previously used by supporters of Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump.
However, the shift in vote share is likely a result of efforts by the UxP to address concerns of the people as Argentina navigates a difficult economic period. Following the PASO, Massa’s Ministry implemented a series of measures that have brought at least partial alleviation of difficulties faced by the people, including a VAT refund on basic goods and support to informal workers.
These efforts also led to the election of UxP candidate, Axel Kicillof, in the province of Buenos Aires, where he secured a victory over Néstor Grindetti from Together for Change with a 20% margin.
The alliance also managed to strengthen its presence in other provinces as well, including Santa Cruz and Tucumán.
While the final results will depend on the overall economic developments in the coming month, Massa leading the first round can be taken as a sign that the policies implemented are resonating with the people.
Read: Argentina’s presidential frontrunner Milei denies number of disappeared from dictatorship
Meanwhile, Milei, who is running on a platform that includes dollarization and cuts to public spending, faces a difficult period leading up to the run-off.
According to local media outlets, Libertad Avanza will be forced to take a hard look at its strategy following the PASO, which was marked by a disorganized and revisionist approach. In the weeks preceding the first round of the presidential election, the party issued statements that ranged from advocating extreme versions of the free market to outright revisionism of Argentina’s history under the military junta, affecting its chances with the electorate.
