Argentina is a country with a special political past. For many years it lived under the commanding influence of its former president Juan Peron. Either as president or through his wives, Eva at the beginning and Isabelita during his second term, he exerted a huge influence on political developments presenting himself almost as a “saint” for the popular and working classes.
But even after his name was removed from power, the Peronist party (Peronistas) continued to play a dominant role in political affairs.
Carlos Menem, in the 1980s, stepped into his shoes and won the presidency. But while he was elected with a purely leftist interventionist platform, he then made a big turn and formed the most liberal government in the history of the country.
Extensive privatizations, almost complete liberalization of the market, administrative reforms of the economy and its dollarization caused a spectacular turnaround and an unprecedented growth. Which later of course was reversed as a result of the rise of the Peronist Nestor Kirchner who, followed, after a brief interruption, by his wife Cristina Fernandez Kirchner, ran a long left-wing route to power. Always under the banners of Peronism.
In recent years the Peronist-leftist government of the current president Fernandez, with vice-president Cristina Kirchner, has almost leveled the economy with huge public expenditures without the slightest response.
The Minister of Finance of this government, who has the main responsibility for the impasses of the economy, now appears as a representative of the Peronist party (Party of Integration and Justice) in the elections. The peculiarity of the matter is that Sergio Massa, because that’s what it’s about, started his political career as an extreme liberal, then a center-right and finally switched to the Peronists, managing to become a key minister in the government and secure the anointing. Mainly because both President Fernandez and Kirchner are now out of the political fray.
Massa’s main problem is how he blames the miserable economic situation (inflation close to 138%, state-owned companies bankrupt, huge deficits, strong unions and large public benefits). However, Massa came first in the second round of the election!
His opponent is the extreme liberal (libertarian) economist and parliamentarian Javier Millay. With theatrical moves, Millay has impressed the world with his unexpected positions and his opposition to the old political world.
Against any aspect of state or public intervention in general, Millay keeps repeating the slogan “Fuck Freedom”. He wants a drastic reduction, even abolition, of taxes, privatization everywhere, no state interventions, dollarization of the economy, cutting costs, free sale of human organs(!), abolition of the Central Bank and nothing to do with the Vatican and the “left Pope”, which is Argentinean!
Massa, who is still finance minister, however cut taxes in the run-up to the election and threatened that Millay would increase subsidized transport tickets. But it is responsible for the general mess of the economy.
But based on Menem’s experience, it seems that many Argentinians voted for him because they don’t believe him. Precisely because he is not consistent, many believe that he will do other than what he says! His inconsistency and Millay’s attacks on the Pope seem to have helped him. In about two weeks, when the second election will be held, it will be seen whether the genuine liberal can prevail over the inconsistent.
