Evelyn Matthei | |
---|---|
Mayor of Providencia | |
In office 6 December 2016 –6 December 2024 | |
Preceded by | Josefa Errázuriz |
Succeeded by | Jaime Bellolio |
Ministry of Labor and Social Provision | |
In office 16 January 2011 –22 July 2013 | |
President | Sebastián Piñera |
Preceded by | Camila Merino |
Succeeded by | Juan Carlos Jobet |
Member of the Senate for Coquimbo | |
In office 11 March 1998 –16 January 2011 | |
Preceded by | Alberto Cooper |
Succeeded by | Gonzalo Uriarte Herrera |
Member of the Chamber of Deputies | |
In office 11 March 1990 –11 March 1998 | |
Constituency | 23rd district (1990–1994) 15th district (1994–1998) |
Personal details | |
Born | Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet 11 November 1953 Santiago,Chile |
Political party | RN (1987–1993) Independent (1993–1999) UDI (1999–present) |
Other political affiliations | Alliance (1989–2015) Chile Vamos (2015–present) |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Parent(s) | Fernando Matthei (father) Elda Fornet (mother) |
Alma mater | Pontifical Catholic University of Chile |
Occupation | Economist • Politician |
Signature | |
Evelyn Rose Matthei Fornet (born 11 November 1953) is a Chilean politician and the current mayor of Providencia, a commune of Santiago, serving since 2016. Prior to her current position, she held the role of member of the Chilean Congress from 1990 to 1998, and subsequently served as a Senator from 1998 to 2011. In January 2011, she left her Senate seat to assume the role of Minister of Labor and Social Security under Chilean President Sebastián Piñera until July 2013. [1] In the 2013 Chilean general election, she ran for President with the support of the Independent Democrat Union Party. However, she lost in a runoff to former President Michelle Bachelet. [2]
An economist by training, Matthei began her professional career as a lecturer at her alma mater, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, before transitioning to a management role in the private sector. [3] Following Chile's return to democracy in 1988, she ventured into politics. Besides her political career, Matthei is also an accomplished pianist. [4]
After a failed candidacy in the 2021 presidential election, Matthei is emerging as the front-runner for the 2025 presidential election. [5]
Matthei was born in Santiago de Chile, the second child of Elda Fornet Fernández and Fernando Matthei Aubel, a military officer. Her father was Minister of Health during Augusto Pinochet’s government; later becoming Commander-in-chief of the Air Force, and in this capacity, a member of the Military Junta until Chile’s return to democracy. [3]
As a child, Matthei's family were friends with Michelle Bachelet and her family. Bachelet later became president of Chile and in 2013 Matthei challenged her for the presidency. [6]
During her secondary education, Matthei developed a passion for music and piano, and upon graduation expressed interest in becoming a concert pianist. Matthei was able to obtain scholarships for her studies. [4] Following graduation, she took the admissions exams for university; but at the time her father was appointed military attaché to the Chilean Embassy in London, and she decided to pursue her piano career in Britain. Three years later, she realized she would not become a concert pianist and decided to return to Chile.
In 1974 Matthei started studying at the Economics Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, from which she received a licentiate in Economics after four years. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics and was awarded a prize as the top economics student of her year, but her thesis was "stolen," preventing her from completing the requirements for a professional licence in business. [3] [7]
While studying, Matthei worked as a research assistant. She collaborated with former President Sebastián Piñera on a Latin American Economic Commission paper on poverty in the region; as well as a helping develop a textbook on Monetary Theory with Professor Hernando Cortés for the Economics Institute of her university. [1]
Ancestors of Evelyn Matthei | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Matthei started her career as a professor of International Economics at the Economics Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Following a year of work as a researcher in a private consultancy, Forestal S.A., she took on the role of an analyst in the Superintendencia de AFP. This government body was responsible for overseeing Chile's privatized pension system. Less than a year later she was promoted to the head of the department.
In 1986, Matthei made the decision to resign from her government position and assumed the role of Vice President of Tourism, Commerce, and Securities at Bancard S.A., where she remained until her election as Deputy four years later. During this time, in 1988, she was invited to serve as an adviser for the Social and Economic Commission. She also returned to teaching at the Catholic University, this time as a Professor of Introduction to Economics.
Matthei entered Chilean politics in the late 1980s, after the military government relaxed control over political activity. She joined National Renewal party's youth group called Patrulla Juvenil ("Youth Patrol"), along with future President of Chile Sebastián Piñera, and future fellow senator and minister Andrés Allamand. She was a member of the party's Political Commission and later elected its National Vice president.
In 1990, she was National Renewal's candidate for Deputy for the 23rd Electoral district, representing the upscale communes of Las Condes, Vitacura, and Lo Barnechea, winning by a broad margin. Following her increasing popularity, [8] Matthei was tapped as a potential presidential candidate for the center-right Democracy and Progress Coalition. However, following a highly publicized wire-tapping scandal in 1993 known as Piñeragate, involving her and rival presidential hopeful Sebastián Piñera, she was forced to desist from her presidential bid. [8] Disgusted with the way National Renewal leaders dealt with the scandal, she resigned from the party and continued her political career as an independent until 1999. [9]
In 1994, she opted to run for Deputy of the 15th Electoral District of San Antonio, winning the seat as an independent with support from the Independent Democrat Union (UDI) party. Upon completion of her term, Matthei was elected senator in 1997, representing the Coquimbo Region, being re-elected in 2005. In 1999, she joined the Independent Democrat Union. As Senator, she became the first woman to preside over the Senate Budget and Oversight Committee. Matthei resigned from her seat in January 2011 when she was appointed Minister of Labor and Social Security by President Sebastián Piñera. [10]
As Minister, Matthei gained notoriety for her fiery personality and was the center of several heated exchanges with members both of the governing coalition and the opposition. [9] Her relatively liberal [2] views on abortion, same-sex marriage and tax reform deepened a growing rift with her own party, and in March 2013, she confided that she had decided to quit politics following completion of her term as Minister. [11]
On July 17, and after winning the primary, UDI presidential candidate Pablo Longueira resigned citing health reasons. Three days later, the Political Commission of the party unanimously proclaimed Evelyn Matthei as their new presidential candidate for the elections in November. [12] On December 15, 2013 she lost the presidential election to socialist candidate Michelle Bachelet 62% to 38%.
Evelyn Matthei is married to fellow economist and former Chilean Central Bank Deputy Governor Jorge Desormeaux, with whom she has three children. She is a classically trained pianist, and speaks English and German as well as her native Spanish. [13]
Deputy for the District No. 23 (Las Condes, Vitacura and Lo Barnechea), Santiago Metropolitan Region [14]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Result |
Evelyn Matthei Fornet | RN | 79,595 | 42.32 | Deputy |
Eliana Caraball Martínez | DC | 49,961 | 26.56 | Deputy |
Joaquín Lavín Infante | UDI | 36,379 | 19.34 | |
Guido Girardi Lavín | PPD | 16,318 | 8.68 | |
José Miguel Ureta Rojas | ILE | 3,772 | 2.01 | |
Patricio Hidalgo Marín | AN | 1,116 | 0.59 | |
Jorge Martínez Rodríguez | ILF | 956 | 0.51 |
Deputy for District No. 15 (San Antonio), Valparaíso Region [15]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Result |
Samuel Venegas Rubio | PDC | 30,174 | 39.85 | Deputy |
Evelyn Matthei Fornet | ILB | 19,572 | 25.85 | Deputy |
Gonzalo Yuseff Sotomayor | RN | 10,950 | 14.46 | |
Julio Stuardo González | PS | 6,719 | 8.87 | |
Cosme Caracciolo Alvarez | PC | 3,858 | 5.10 | |
Mireya Baltra Moreno | PC | 3,802 | 5.02 | |
Jorge Blaessinger Lobos | IND | 645 | 0.85 |
Senator for the Circunscription No. 4 (Coquimbo Region) [16]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Result |
Jorge Pizarro Soto | PDC | 82,598 | 38.30 | Senator |
Evelyn Matthei Fornet | ILB | 50,281 | 23.32 | Senator |
Erich Schnake Silva | PPD | 40,728 | 18.89 | |
Eugenio Munizaga Rodríguez | RN | 33,612 | 15.59 | |
Gonzalo Garcia-Huidobro Severin | PH | 8,439 | 3.91 |
Senator for the Circunscription No. 4 (Coquimbo Region) [17]
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Result |
Jorge Pizarro Soto | PDC | 101,671 | 40.37 | Senator |
Evelyn Matthei Fornet | UDI | 71,697 | 28.47 | Senator |
Jorge Arrate Mac-Niven | PS | 48,931 | 19.43 | |
Arturo Longton Guerrero | RN | 12,571 | 4.99 | |
Luis Aguilera González | PC | 10,607 | 4.21 | |
Joaquín Arduengo Naredo | PH | 6,384 | 2.53 |
The Independent Democratic Union is a conservative and right-wing political party in Chile, founded in 1983. Its founder was the lawyer, politician and law professor Jaime Guzmán, a civilian allied with Augusto Pinochet. Guzmán was a senator from 1990 until his murder by communist guerrillas on April 1, 1991.
General elections were held in Chile on Sunday, 11 December 2005 to elect the president and members of the National Congress. None of the four presidential candidates received an absolute majority, leading to a runoff election between the top two candidates — Michelle Bachelet from the Coalition of Parties for Democracy and Sebastián Piñera from National Renewal — on Sunday, 15 January 2006. Bachelet was victorious with 53.49% of the vote. She succeeded President Ricardo Lagos on 11 March 2006, for a period of four years, after Congress reformed the Constitution in September 2005 and reduced the term from six years.
General elections were held in Chile on 11 December 1993 to elect the President, members of the Chamber of Deputies and elected members of the Senate. Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of the Concertación alliance was elected president, and the alliance also won a majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and maintained its majority in the Senate. As of 2024, this is the most recent presidential election that did not result in a runoff.
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique was a Chilean businessman and politician who served as president of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. The son of a Christian Democratic politician and diplomat, he studied business administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and economics at Harvard University. At the time of his death, he had an estimated net worth of US$2.7 billion, according to Forbes, making him the third richest person in Chile and the 1177th richest person in the world.
National Renewal is a liberal conservative political party in Chile. It is a member of Chile Vamos, a centre-right to right-wing coalition. Sebastián Piñera, the former President of Chile, was a member of the party.
General elections were held in Chile on Sunday 13 December 2009 to elect the president, all 120 members of the Chamber of Deputies and 18 of the 38 members of the Senate were up for election. As no presidential candidate received a majority of the vote, a second round was held between the top two candidates—Sebastián Piñera and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle—on Sunday 17 January 2010. Piñera won the runoff with 52% of the vote and succeeded Michelle Bachelet on 11 March 2010.
Jorge Félix Arrate Mac Niven is a Chilean lawyer, economist, writer and politician. He has been Minister of State in the governments of Chilean presidents Salvador Allende (1970–1973), Patricio Aylwin (1990–1994), and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle (1994–2000). A long-time member of the Socialist Party of Chile arrate was during much of the 1990s the leader of the eponymous Arratismo faction in the party. During the indictment and arrest of Augusto Pinochet (1998–2000) Arrate was positive to the prospect of Pinochet being judged abroad. Given that his was contrary to the government stance he was removed from his post as minister in June 1999. In 2009, he was appointed as candidate for president of Chile in representation of the political alliance Juntos Podemos Más and other leftist political movements, obtaining 6.21 percent of the total votes in the elections of that year.
Andrés Pío Bernardino Chadwick Piñera is a Chilean right-wing politician and lawyer, member of the Independent Democrat Union (UDI) party. He began his political career as a supporter of the Pinochet dictatorship, and was present at the Acto de Chacarillas in 1977.
General elections were held in Chile on 17 November 2013 to elect the president, all 120 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 20 of the 38 members of the Senate and 278 members of regional boards. All elected members would serve a four-year term, aside from the Senators would serve for eight years. All the newly elected authorities began their terms on 11 March 2014.
The Chilean presidential primaries of 2013 were held in Chile on Sunday 30 June 2013. It was the first such election to be run by the government under a new primary law published in December 2012.
The Nueva Mayoría, also translated in English as New Majority, was a Chilean centre-left electoral coalition from 2013 to 2018, composed mainly of centre-left political parties supporting the presidential candidacy of Michelle Bachelet in the 2013 election.
General elections were held in Chile on 19 November 2017 to elect the president, all 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies, 23 of the 43 members of the Senate and 278 members of regional boards. All elected members would serve a four-year term, aside from the senators would serve for eight years.
Political Evolution, also known in Spanish by its shorthand Evópoli, is a Chilean centre-right political party, founded in 2012. The party defines itself as a liberal platform for the people who look for a "modern centre-right who proposes as the central axis of their proposal the appreciation of diversity, the emphasis on encouraging local communities and the pursuit of social justice".
The presidential primaries of the Alliance of 2013 were the method of election of the presidential candidate of such Chilean center-right coalition, for the presidential election of 2013. On that same date the conglomerate would also realize its parliamentary primaries in the districts but the UDI decided not to participate in them, being reduced to the candidates of National Renewal (RN).
The Chilean presidential primaries of 2017 were held in Chile on Sunday 2 July 2017. It was the first election in the country's history in which Chileans were permitted to vote from abroad.
General elections were held in Chile on 21 November 2021, including presidential, parliamentary and regional elections. Voters went to the polls to elect the President of the Republic to serve a four-year term, 27 of 50 members of the Senate to serve an eight-year term in the National Congress, all 155 members of the Chamber of Deputies to serve a four-year term in the National Congress, and all 302 members of the regional boards to serve a three-year term. Following an electoral reform in 2015, the Senate increased its membership from 38 to 43 in 2017 and grew to its full size of 50 seats after this election.
Sebastián Iglesias Sichel Ramírez is a Chilean lawyer, professor, mayor elect of Ñuñoa, ex minister of State and politician who served as president of the Banco del Estado de Chile from June 2020 until December 2020. He also previously served as Minister of Social Development and Family and executive vice president of Corfo under the second government of Sebastián Piñera. He was an independent candidate in the 2021 Chilean presidential election who ran under the centre-right Chile Podemos Más coalition.
Hernán Larraín Matte is a Chilean lawyer and politician involved in centre-right politics. Larraín is an adjunct professor at the Adolfo Ibáñez University and during Sebastián Piñera's first government (2010–2014) he was presidential advisor. Then, he presided political party Evópoli (2018–2020).
Lily Jovanka Pérez San Martín is a Chilean publicist and politician. She served as a councilor for La Florida from 1992 to 1996, a deputy for District 26 from 1998 to 2006, a deputy for District 36 from 2008 to 2010, and a senator for Constituency 5 from 2010 to 2018. Furthermore, she was the president of the now-defunct Amplitude party from 2014 to 2018.
Piñeragate, also known as Kiotazo, was a political scandal that occurred in Chile on August 23, 1992. It involved the revelation of a covertly recorded telephone conversation during a live broadcast on Megavisión, a private channel. The conversation featured Sebastián Piñera, a senator and pre-candidate for the 1993 presidential election, conspiring against his political rival, deputy Evelyn Matthei.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (Spanish).