Argentina: Two main opposition leaders agree to electoral alliance

[sandensea]

Last edited Wed Jun 12, 2019, 07:59 PM - Edit history (1)

The political landscape ahead of this year's presidential elections in Argentina was rocked today by news that the nation's two top opposition leaders, Alberto Fernández and Sergio Massa, agreed to an electoral alliance.

The alliance, announced as the Front for All, brings together the two main factions in the big-tent Justicialist Party (PJ): the centrist Federal Alternative, led by Massa; and the larger, center-left Citizens' Unity, led by former President Cristina Kirchner (Fernández's running mate this year).

The alliance bolsters the PJ in its bid to defeat right-wing President Mauricio Macri, who's seeking re-election amid approval ratings of 24% and the deepest economic crisis since the country's 2001-02 collapse.

The PJ, founded by the late populist leader Juan Perón (and thus known as Peronists), has been long beset by disunity however, and the prospect of Fernández and Massa running separately represented the best - albeit remote - hope for Macri's "Let's Change" coalition of eking out a victory by default.

Recent polling, however, had Fernández ahead of Macri by 13% even with Massa running separately.

"A large part of our society has long awaited our unity, so we may move forward," Fernández tweeted.

A long way back

The negotiations were reportedly made easier by the fact that Fernández, 60, and Massa, 47, are longtime political allies and personal friends.

Both served as chiefs of staff to former President Cristina Kirchner during her first term (2007-11) - but both entered politics in the 1980s supporting the top neo-liberal figure at the time, the late Álvaro Alsogaray.

Both also broke with Mrs. Kirchner over what they saw as a leftward shift in policy, and Fernández served as Massa's campaign chair during the latter's 2015 campaign, where he placed third.

Massa's decision to abstain from endorsing PJ nominee Daniel Scioli four days before the November 22, 2015, runoff, was decisive in Macri's narrow victory of 2.7% - the closest in Argentine presidential election history.

But Macri's sharp right turn in economic policy - in stark contrast to his centrist campaign rhetoric - and the carry-trade debt bubble collapse that followed by 2018, has helped reunite Peronists.

Massa sought to avoid a similar outcome this year.

"Argentina does not simply need a political front," he said in a June 7 rally. "Our country needs a broad agreement, of all sectors, to get out of Macri's crisis and failure, and to grow for the next 20 years."

At: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eldestapeweb.com%2Fnota%2Felecciones-2019-sergio-massa-y-alberto-fernandez-sellaron-la-unidad-del-peronismo--201961218490

Sergio Massa and Alberto Fernández enjoy a coffee break following today's unity talks in Fernández's Buenos Aires campaign headquarters.

An alliance between Massa's centrist Federal Alternative, and Fernández, the standard bearer for former President Cristina Kirchner's center-left Citizens' Unity, effectively unites Argentina's Peronists - the principal opposition to the neo-con Macri.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Wonderful event! It's even better hearing they have been allies and friends over the years, too.

That, in itself, probably has made communication much clearer, and successful, and can allow flexibility, and respect earned through experience with each others thoughts, beliefs.

That's a much better photo of their meeting than was the one with Macri and his careless friend, yesterday!

Fernández and Massa look as if they are very clear and connected and determined in their goals. It shines through in their expressions and postures. They look like people who will work really hard to get the debris cleared out and a new path established to get the economy healthy again, and people employed, as did Néstor Kirchner.

Integrity. People miss it when it's gone.

Thank you for explaining the positions with the two parties which will be folded in with the PJ, as they move together with Cristina, too. It really helps.

Hoping so hard good will prevail, this time!

[sandensea]

2. It was quite an accomplishment - all the more so with the pressure Massa got from RWs to say no

This, plus Roberto Lavagna's bringing in the other Federal Alternative leader (Juan Urtubey) as his running mate, really helps clear the path for a Beto/Cristina win this October.

Unless, of course, Macri resorts to fraud. A very real possibility given his installation of Smartmatic vote tabulation machines everywhere.

Smartmatic, which originated in venezuela but has since had Isreali involvement, has been implicated in suspected electoral fraud cases everywhere from Venezuela, Uganda, Philippines, Estonia, to Argentina itself (in the 2017 mid-term) - and even Belgium (where they were ordered to pay a € 6 million fine, and of course kicked out of the country).

The urgency with which Macri had them installed in Argentina - from a man known for his nonchalant, even lazy, governing style - certainly gives cause for concern.

Thanks as always for your keen observations, Judi. We'll see where this goes!