The current finance minister and a right-wing populist challenging the ruling parties are going to the second round.
In Argentina, the presidential elections are going to the second round, as none of the candidates is getting more than 45 percent of the votes in the first round.
The country’s current finance minister, of the Peronists, is going to the second round Sergio Massa and a right-wing populist challenging the ruling parties, an economist Javier Milei.
When about 90 percent of the votes in the first round organized on Sunday had been counted, Massa was getting a good 36 percent and Milei about 30 percent of the votes.
Former Security Minister, Conservative Patricia Bullrich is falling below 24 percent.
Opinion polls knew how to predict that the presidential election would go to the second round. According to the Reuters news agency, sources in the candidates’ campaign groups said that all three leading candidates each believed that the election would not be decided in the first round.
The polling stations closed at midnight Finnish time, and according to the election authorities, the voting percentage is tentatively around 74 percent.
The second round of the elections is scheduled for November 19.
Presidential elections in the middle of the economic crisis
The leading candidates in the elections have very different views on how Argentina should solve its chronic economic problems.
Argentina’s economy is struggling with persistent inflation. Prices have more than doubled during the year. According to figures at the end of last year, about 40 percent of the country’s population lives in poverty.
Milei unexpectedly became the pre-favorite of the elections. He surprised Argentina’s political elite by getting the largest number of votes in the primary election for presidential candidates in August. He also led in opinion polls, which admittedly have not been reliable in the past.
The right-winger Milei has said that he wants, among other things, to dollarize Argentina’s economy, close numerous ministries and the country’s central bank, allow life trading and ban abortion. He has also said that he considers climate change a lie.
Sources: Reuters, AFP