Argentina’s Primary Elections Show That Macri’s Anti-Populism Can Win

Argentina’s Primary Elections Show That Macri’s Anti-Populism Can Win
Argentina’s president, Mauricio Macri, awaits the arrival of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug. 15, 2017 (AP photo by Natacha Pisarenko).

Except in times of war, few politicians have achieved great electoral success by telling voters to sacrifice living standards today for the sake of a better tomorrow. But in a surprising turn of events, voters in Argentina have just given an unexpected endorsement to this message, which has been the guiding logic behind the anti-populist policies of President Mauricio Macri.

On Sunday, Argentina held primary elections ahead of the Oct. 22 midterm legislative polls. It wasn’t supposed to be a very momentous event, but the results, as it happened, came loaded with significance. Voters didn’t just give a boost to Macri’s governing project. They also showed that Argentina—a country with a history of politics driven by personalities, emotions and short-termism—has developed a new level of political maturity.

After one-and-a-half years of Macri’s bitter economic medicine, and with former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on the ballot for a Senate seat, few expected Argentineans to give a hearty vote of confidence to Macri and his Cambiemos—or “Let’s Change”—coalition. But that is exactly what they did.

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