Unión por la Patria candidate did not emerge as the popular candidate, nor could the ruling coalition surpass 30%; Sergio Massa heads back to the drawing board after a disappointing night – even his wife lost in his Tigre stronghold.
Sergio Massa was not the top individual candidate. Nor could Unión por la Patria achieve its goal of clearing 30 percent. But this was already known by Argentina’s economy minister, and the ruling coalition’s lead presidential hopeful himself 48 hours before voters headed to the polls. The numbers he had asked his team for in advance of the vote showed that the highest-ranking position would go to the libertarian lawmaker, Javier Milei.
But Massa’s main problem is not as a candidate, but as an economy minister. He already knew that, which is why he asked officials to put together a post-election package and to prepare themselves to contain the currency.
However, the announcements they anticipated prior to the curfew now seem to fall short. More international financing, measures to speed up imports, a new bidding for the Reserva del Norte gas pipeline, and discussing a 2024 Budget with zero deficit.
It was a dark and disappointing night for Massa. He barely scratched the surface of the 20-percent mark and, according to initial results, he was even losing the election in his stronghold. In Tigre, Mayor Julio Zamora, got the most votes, ahead of Malena Galmarini, Massa´s wife.
Massa´s reaction will be key, only for Uinión por la Patria is to stand any chance against such extreme candidates as Milei and Patricia Bullrich, but also in terms of the governability of an administration that has four months to go.
SOURCE: www.batimes.com.ar