PERONISM OF RETURN IN ARGENTINA

"The only thing that concerns us is that the Argentines stop suffering," said Alberto Fernandez, the winner in the presidential election, while his country is in the grip of a serious economic crisis.

Center-left Peronist candidate Alberto Fernandez won the presidential election in Argentina in the first round on Sunday (October 27th), ahead of outgoing Liberal president Mauricio Macri, according to partial results.

With nearly 80% of the ballots counted, the Peronist candidate obtained 47.45% of the votes, against 41.11% for Mauricio Macri. He becomes the new president of this country of 44 million inhabitants.

To win in the first round, Alberto Fernandez had to obtain more than 45% of the votes, or more than 40% of the votes with an advantage of more than 10 points on the candidate who came second. According to the Ministry of the Interior, voter turnout was over 80%.

Return of Peronism ?

"We will build the egalitarian and solidarity Argentina we dreamed of! "Responded Alberto Fernandez, a 60-year-old lawyer, whose running mate is former president Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015), currently indicted in thirteen cases.

Alberto Fernandez had promised to work to reduce the strong political polarization that crosses the country, between Peronists and supporters of Mauricio Macri, who was seeking a second term. "'We' and 'them', it's finished," assured the one who forms a ticket with the former president Cristina Kirchner (2007-2015), candidate for the vice-president. "We are in deep crisis (economic), everyone must take responsibility for what will happen," he insisted. "The only thing that concerns us is that the Argentines stop suffering." Cristina Kirchner, who was at her side, called on the outgoing president to take "all the necessary steps to alleviate the dramatic situation" in Argentina during the last days of his term.

Serious economic crisis

Indeed the next government will inherit a country on the brink of economic abyss. With 55% inflation, a high unemployment rate, 35% of Argentines living below the poverty line, the next president will have to face a critical situation. Alberto Fernández promised investments in education and scientific research, but in fact, if he is elected, he will have little leeway to turn his back on the austerity policies put in place by the outgoing center-right president.

To cope with the crisis, the Macri government had to seek the help of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which decided to grant him a loan of 57 billion dollars. Most of this money has already been paid to the country, however, and there is almost nothing left today. The government used a large part of it to repay other debts.

With a recession of over 3% of GDP projected for 2019, Argentina will therefore need time to emerge from the crisis.