Once again the forecasts failed in Argentina and the ultra-liberal Javier Milei could not materialize at the polls the victory that all the polls anticipated in the first round of the presidential elections.. The surprise came from the Peronist candidate and current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, who this Sunday won 36.68% of the votes and won with an advantage of 6.7 points over Milei (29.98 %), with whom they will face each other in the second round, on November 19.

“The crack died and a new stage begins on December 10 in my Government,” proclaimed Massa, running before his followers to be in charge of the Casa Rosada.. “I am going to convene a Government of national unity on December 10 as president, calling for the best, regardless of their political strength,” he stated in a triumphalist speech.

But his proclamation as president remains to be seen because Milei is far from defeated.. What's more, far from a faltering speech, the leader of La Libertad Avanza described the results as “the best election in history for liberalism in Argentina” and proudly expressed his chest for having revolutionized the country's politics “in just two years.”

In his trademark passionate statement, Milei accused Kirchnerism, embodied by Massa, of being “a government of criminals who want to mortgage the future of Argentina and deepen its decline.”

And before the cheers of his followers, who did not stop singing the chant “In November whatever the cost, in November we have to win!”, the ultraliberal candidate did not hesitate to appeal to the voters of the Together for Change coalition ( center-right), third force this Sunday (23.85%), to defeat Massa on November 19. “All of us who want change have to work together. “Let's not resign ourselves to mediocrity, we are going for glory in November,” he stated.

That gauntlet extended to center-right voters could be Milei's ace up his sleeve to defeat Massa in the second round and become the new president of Argentina.. In fact, the Together for Change candidate, Patricia Bullrich, already made it clear in her assessment of the results that her votes are closer to Milei than to Massa: “Populism has impoverished the country and I am not the one who is going to come.” to facilitate the return to power of someone who has been part of the worst Government in the recent history of Argentina,” Bullrich proclaimed in reference to the winner of the first round.

Low participation in the first round

Argentina registered this Sunday a 77.65% participation rate, the second lowest since the recovery of democracy after the last military dictatorship (1976-1983), only surpassing the 76.20% of 2007, when the Peronist Cristina Fernández obtained the victory for the first of his two terms (2007-2015).

The second electoral round will take place on November 19 and, as required by Argentine law, a week before, on the 12th, there will be a debate between the two candidates, Sergio Massa and Javier Milei, which will be held in Buenos Aires and may be decisive for the future of Argentina.

The economy will, without a doubt, be the battlehorse that will decide who gains access to the Casa Rosada and could be a burden for Massa as the official candidate.. Argentina has entered a complicated inflationary spiral, the fiscal deficit is out of control and international financial markets are closed for a country that lacks monetary reserves to sustain its currency.