Argentina, officially named the Argentine Republic, is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America. Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west, the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north, Brazil to the northeast, Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Drake Passage to the south. With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi), Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world, the fourth largest in the Americas, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation. The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city, Buenos Aires, which is the federal capital of the nation as decided by Congress. The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions, but exist under a federal system. Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica, the Falkland Islands, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The President of Argentina, officially known as the President of the Argentine Republic, is both head of state and head of government of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner, sometimes referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician, who served as President of Argentina from 2007 to 2015. She was the second woman to serve as President of Argentina, the first directly elected female president, and the first woman re-elected to the office. Ideologically a Peronist and social democrat, she was a member of the Justicialist Party, with her political approach being characterised as Kirchnerism.
Mercosur Parliamentarians were also popularly elected for the first time. Another novelty was the introduction of open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries. These took place 14 August 2011 to select the candidates of each political party or coalition.[1]
The Mercosur Parliament, known also as Parlasur, or Parlasul, is the parliamentary institution of the Mercosur trade bloc. It is composed of 81 MPs, 18 from each member states of the bloc – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – and 9 from applying member Venezuela. Associate members – Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru – may also hold seats on the Parliament, but with no voting powers.
Presidential campaign
Ballots used in the primary elections on 14 August.
The nation's myriad parties forged seven coalitions, of which five became contenders for a possible runoff election:
The Front for Victory is a centre-left Peronist electoral alliance in Argentina, and it is formally a faction of the Justicialist Party. Both the former president Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and the former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007–2015) belong to this party, located on the centre-left of the mainstream Argentine political spectrum. The party was led by Néstor Kirchner until his death in 2010. The Front for Victory is ideologically identified with what has been called Kirchnerism. Legally, the Front should not be confused with the Party for Victory, which is just one of the political parties in it.
Martín Sabbatella is an Argentine politician and former director of the Federal Authority for Audiovisual Communication Services.
The Justicialist Party, or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.
The Workers' Left Front is an alliance of three Trotskyist parties in Argentina formed to fight a number of elections in 2011, announced at a press conference in April that year. They are the Workers' Party (PO), the Socialist Workers' Party (PTS), and Socialist Left (IS).
Jorge Altamira, is an Argentine activist and politician leading the Workers' Party in Argentina.
Proyecto Sur is a political party established in 2007 in Argentina. It was founded and would be led by film maker Fernando "Pino" Solanas, who ran on the Proyecto Sur ticket for president in 2007 and for Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires in 2011.
The Civic and Social Agreement was an alliance between the UCR and most of what became the Progressive Ample Front and the Civic Coalition, with other, minor allies. This coalition proved unwieldy as the 2011 campaign progressed, however, though various forms of it will be retained in certain provinces for strategic purposes.[5]
Front for Victory (incumbents)
Incumbent Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, of the Front for Victory (FpV), secured her second term as president.
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Jr. was an Argentine politician who served as President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 and as Governor of Santa Cruz from 1991 to 2003. Ideologically a Peronist and social democrat, he served as President of the Justicialist Party from 2008 to 2010, with his political approach being characterised as Kirchnerism.
Argentina’s former President and 1st Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations, Néstor Kirchner, died of heart failure on the morning of 27 October 2010 at the Jose Formenti hospital in El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province at the age of 60. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. His wife, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, was present with him when he died. He was also expected to run for president in 2011.
Fernández had suffered a significant decline in approval during the 2008 Argentine government conflict with the agricultural sector and the subsequent recession, and the ruling Front for Victory lost its absolute majority in both houses of Congress during the June 2009 mid-term elections.[7] The economy, and her approval ratings, recovered steadily during 2010,[8] however, and the 2011 electoral season began with Fernández' job approval at around 58 percent,[9] with polling indicating that she would likely be reelected in the first round.[10]
Fernández avoided committing herself to running for a second term during the early months of 2011.[11] Two days before the 23 June deadline, however, she announced her decision to run for reelection.[12] She nominated the nation's Economy Minister, Amado Boudou, as her running mate on 25 June.[13] Their ticket won a landslide victory in the 14 August primaries, obtaining just over 50% and besting the runner-up (Alfonsín) by nearly 38%; they won in the City of Buenos Aires and in every province except San Luis (won by Rodríguez Saá).[14]
Support for Fernández was strongest among the poor (65.2%) and those aged 30 to 44 (54.6%). Her support was weakest among the upper middle class (43.5%), though she remained over 24% ahead of the runner-up (Binner) among those polled within that segment.[15]
The leaders of the center-right Federal Peronism were torn between running for primary elections within the PJ against the Front for Victory, or running instead in the general election through another political alliance. Former President Eduardo Duhalde was the first to informally start his pre-candidacy campaign, announcing hypothetical cabinet picks as early as December 2009.[16] The Governors of Chubut, Mario Das Neves, and of San Luis, Alberto Rodríguez Saá, as well as former Governor of Buenos Aires Province Felipe Solá, also stated their intention to run for president. Das Neves became the first Federal Peronist to drop out, while Solá boosted his own prospects by securing an alliance with the conservative Republican Proposal (PRO) on 16 May.[17] Duhalde narrowly defeated Rodríguez Saá in a Buenos Aires Federal Peronism primary held on 22 May, though both men remained front-runners for their party's nomination.[18] Ultimately, each ran on separate Federal Peronist tickets.
Duhalde formally announced his Popular Union candidacy on 9 June, nominating Das Neves as his running mate.[19] Rodríguez Saá, in turn, nominated former Santa Fe GovernorJosé María Vernet as his running mate on his Federal Commitment ticket.[20] Solá, who struggled in the polls, withdrew on 11 June, encouraging local candidates in his fold to form alliances with Duhalde and the party's candidate for Buenos Aires Governor, Francisco de Narváez.[21] De Narváez later endorsed Rodríguez Saá.[22]
Support for Duhalde was strongest among the working class (14.2%) and weakest among young voters (3.9%).[15] Rodríguez Saá polled best among upper middle class voters (14%) and those age 30 to 44 (11.9%); worst among the poor.[15]
Radical Civic Union
Ricardo Alfonsín, of the Radical Civic Union (UDESO).
The center-left Radical Civic Union had scheduled primaries for 28 April. Both Ricardo Alfonsín, son of the late former President Raúl Alfonsín, and current party leader Ernesto Sanz started pre-candidacy campaigns; Sanz, however, dropped out on 28 April. Vice PresidentJulio Cobos, considered a likely UCR primary candidate, had stated his intention to run only in August, during the coalition primaries; he dropped out in April as well.[11]
The UCR and the Socialist Party (partners in the Civic and Social Agreement) parted ways in May 2011, with Alfonsín and Santa Fe Governor Hermes Binner running on separate slates for the primaries in August, and likely in the general election, as well.[5] Alfonsín secured an alliance with Federal Peronist candidate Francisco de Narváez in Buenos Aires Province,[23] De Narváez ran for governor with his senior partner's endorsement in return for his support for Alfonsín's presidential campaign.[23][24] Alfonsín nominated former Central Bank President Javier González Fraga, a non-partisan economist close to both the UCR and Federal Peronism, as his running-mate on 2 June.[5]
De Narváez withdrew his endorsement of Alfonsín in favor of Rodríguez Saá following the 14 August primaries,[22] though he continued his campaign for Governor of Buenos Aires with Alfonsín's endorsement.[25]
Alfonsín's support was strongest among those age 45 to 59 (14.6%), and weakest among young voters (5.3%).[15]
Socialists
Campaign banner for Hermes Binner, of the Socialist Party (FAP).
Binner endorsed GEN leader Margarita Stolbizer for Governor of Buenos Aires following his break with Alfonsín,[24] and formally announced his Broad Progressive Front candidacy on 11 June; he nominated Córdoba Senator Norma Morandini as his running mate.[26] His alliance with Pino Solanas was dissolved the following week, however, and the Proyecto Sur leader instead joined a coalition of minor, left-wing parties.[4]
Binner, despite obtaining fourth place, fared better than expected by local analysts in the 14 August primary,[27] and became the runner-up in subsequent polls. His support was strongest among the middle (18.8%) and upper middle classes (18.9%), while weakest among the poor (6.5%); among the broad age groups, voters 30 to 44 were the most supportive (19.3%).[15]
Elisa Carrió, of the Civic Coalition ARI (CC-ARI).
Civic Coalition
The leader of the centrist Civic Coalition, Elisa Carrió, reversed her earlier intention to opt out of the 2011 race, and following the departure of her Civic Coalition from the Civic and Social Agreement formed in 2009 with the UCR, she announced her candidacy for president on 12 December 2010.[28] Carrió withdrew her presidential bid following a poor showing in the 14 August primaries, where she obtained 3%.[29]
Other candidates
Jorge Altamira, of the Workers Left Front (FIT).
Numerous other candidates, or potential candidates, dropped out in May 2011, notably Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri, who instead sought a second term as mayor, and left-wing film maker Fernando Solanas (who ran unsuccessfully for the same post).[30] Solanas nominated Congresswoman Alcira Argumedo as Proyecto Sur's candidate for president on 22 June.[31] The 14 August primary effectively ended Argumedo's campaign, as well as those of Neighbors' Action Movement (MAV) candidate Sergio Pastore, and People's Countryside Party (PCP) candidate José Bonacci; neither had reached the requisite 1.5% threshold needed to advance to the general election.[32]
The candidate for the Workers' Left Front (FIT), Jorge Altamira, fared unexpectedly well and advanced to the general election.[33] Altamira polled best among the poor (7.9%) and among the upper middle class (5.4%).[15]
Primary elections, 14 August
Open primary elections for the Presidency were held nationwide on 14 August.
With this system, all parties run primary elections in a same general elections. All parties must take part in it, both the parties with internal factions and parties with a single candidate list. Citizens may vote for any candidate of any party, but may only cast a single vote. The most voted candidate of parties gaining 1.5% or higher of the valid votes will be allowed to run in the main elections.
The president and vice-president were chosen directly in a two-round system election. Candidates who obtained less than 1.5% during the preliminary round on 14 August were excluded from the general election on 23 October.[32]
Early results on election night awarded incumbent president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of the Front for Victory (FpV) a second, four-year term. Winning in the City of Buenos Aires and every province except San Luis (won by Federal Commitment candidate Alberto Rodríguez Saá),[34] she became the first candidate to obtain an absolute majority of the popular vote (54%) since Raúl Alfonsín in 1983, and upon completion of ballot processing, the margin of victory (37.1%) exceeded Juan Perón's record 36% margin obtained in 1973.[35] Fernández thus became the first woman re-elected as head of state in Latin American history.[36]
All 23 provinces and the city of Buenos Aires held elections to renew half of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house). Each province and the autonomous city elects a number of at-large representatives on a party list system roughly proportional to their population, and no province is allotted fewer than five Deputies. The system used to know how many deputies per party in each district is D'Hondt method.
Early projections suggested that President Cristina Kirchner's FpV would increase their representation in the Lower House from 87 seats (out of 257),[38] to around 116; the presence of an estimated ten allies would put them three votes shy of an absolute majority.[39] The opposition fared better in the Senate, which remained nearly unchanged; the upper house would continue divided between the FpV with a relative majority of around 30 seats (out of 72), and the UCR (around 17) and others with the remainder.[38][39] The departure of Vice President Julio Cobos of the UCR (distanced politically from the President since 2008) deprived the opposition of a tie-breaking vote in the Senate.[39]
All but two of the 23 provinces will also elect governors and provincial legislative officials on staggered dates through the year, and nine of them will hold elections on the same day as the General Elections.[40] There will be also simultaneous local elections, whereby a number of Municipalities elect municipal legislative officials (concejales), and in some cases also a mayor (or equivalent).[41]
Results throughout the year and in the general election handed candidates for the FpV or its allies the governor's house in every province except San Luis (won by Federal Commitment) and Santa Fe (won by the Socialist Party).[42]
Opinion polls
Numerous consulting firms conducted polling throughout the campaign, whereby respondents chose from a number of declared or potential first-round candidates.
A poll conducted by Mora y Araujo for Ipsos on 28 September revealed favourability and unfavourability ratings for six of the seven candidates appearing on the general election ballot.[15]
Eduardo Alberto Duhalde is an Argentine politician who served as President of Argentina from 2002 to 2003. Born in Lomas de Zamora, he was elected for the local legislature and appointed mayor in 1973. He was deposed during the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, and elected again when democracy was restored in 1983 after the tyranny of soldiers raiding homes. He was elected vice-president of Argentina in 1989, under President Carlos Menem.
Adolfo Rodríguez Saá is an Argentine Peronist politician. Born in a family that was highly influential in the history of the San Luis Province, he became governor in 1983, after the end of the National Reorganization Process military dictatorship. He remained governor up to 2001, being re-elected in successive elections.
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín Foulkes was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as the President of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically elected president after more than seven years of military dictatorship and is considered the "father of modern democracy in Argentina". Born in Chascomús, Buenos Aires Province, he began his studies of law at the National University of La Plata and was a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires. He was affiliated with the Radical Civic Union (UCR), joining the faction of Ricardo Balbín after the party split.
The Radical Civic Union is a centrist social-liberal political party in Argentina. The party has been ideologically heterogeneous, ranging from classical liberalism to social democracy. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International.
Elisa María Avelina "Lilita" Carrió is an Argentine lawyer, professor and politician, who is an Argentine National Deputy for Buenos Aires. She was the founder of the Argentine political party Civic Coalition ARI.
Roberto Lavagna is an Argentine economist and politician who was Minister of Economy and Production from April 27, 2002 until November 28, 2005.
Hermes Juan Binner is an Argentine physician and a politician. He was elected Governor of Santa Fe in 2007. Binner is the first Socialist to become the governor of an Argentine province, and the first non-Justicialist to rule Santa Fe since 1983.
Felipe Solá is an Argentine politician of the Justicialist Party (Peronism) and was governor of Buenos Aires Province from 2002 until 2007.
Sergio Edgardo Acevedo is an Argentine Justicialist Party politician, formerly a provincial governor and secretary in the national government.
Argentina held presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, April 27, 2003. Turnout was 78.2%. No one presidential candidate gained enough votes to win outright, but the scheduled runoff was canceled when first-round winner Carlos Menem pulled out, handing the presidency to runner-up Néstor Kirchner.
Argentina held national parliamentary elections on Sunday, 23 October 2005. For the purpose of these elections, each of the 23 provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires are considered electoral districts.
Argentina held national presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, October 28, 2007, and elections for provincial governors took place on staggered dates throughout the year. For the national elections, each of the 23 provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires are considered electoral districts. Voter turnout was 76.2%.
Margarita Stolbizer is an Argentine lawyer and prominent politician.
Ricardo Luis Alfonsín is an Argentine lawyer, academic and politician prominent in the Radical Civic Union. His father, Raúl Alfonsín, was the President of Argentina from 1983 to 1989.
Federal Peronism, or Dissident Peronism, are the informal names given to a political alliance between Justicialist Party figures, currently identified mostly by its opposition to ruling Kirchnerism, the center-left faction that headed the national Government of Argentina from 2003 to 2015, and leads the Peronist movement.
Legislative elections were held in Argentina on 27 October 2013. Open primary elections (PASO) were previously held on 11 August 2013 to determine eligible party lists for the general election. As in 2011 – when such primaries were held for the first time – each party list had to reach a 1.5% threshold at the provincial level in order to proceed to the 27 October polls.
Broad Front UNEN was an Argentine political coalition that unites the Radical Civic Union, Civic Coalition ARI, Proyecto Sur, Freemen of the South Movement, Socialist Party, Authentic Socialist Party, and GEN. The name UNEN is an acronym of "Unión y Encuentro". Founded in April 2014, the purpose of the coalition was to unite the parties that oppose Peronism and Kirchnerism in a single entity, but the inclusion of the center-right party Republican Proposal was a controversial topic among the parties.
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