Javier Miele | Argentina Election 2023 | Sergio Massa | Patricia Bulrich and flirting with the left: Miley’s turn in Argentina’s presidential quest | Second Round | November 19 | the world

Meera: Elections in Argentina: “Masa’s victory is a big surprise, there is a fear for Miley”

Milei, from Libertad Avanza, was the runner-up in the presidential election and will face off against the ruling party’s Sergio Massa on November 19, who surprised the Interior Coalition’s union representative and current economy minister, Sergio Massa, by coming out on top. Argentina’s annual inflation is 140%. In third place is Conservative Alliance for Change candidate Patricia Bullrich.

Despite expectations building around Miley, the Libertarian received the same percentage of the vote as in the primaries, indicating stagnation that does not bode well for him in view of a second presidential run. Now their strategy seems to be to seek compromise.

From Sunday, the self-promoting candidate of the ‘anti-caste’ movement started poaching the votes of other political forces, especially those united for change. If on the same Sunday he called to join forces to confront Kirchnerism, in recent days Miley has proposed including Patricia Fulrich in his final government.

“If she’s successful in fighting insecurities, how can I not hook her up?” said Miley about the former minister of defense in the government of Mauricio Macri (2015-2019).

Keen to garner support, the Libertarian also offered positions to the Left. “We have the Ministry of Human Capital and some of the areas that go in there are people who know a lot about that subject on the left (…) If you’re going to provide a solution, what do you care about the theory of value? I don’t give anything”, he said in an interview with La Nación+ channel.

The support of Bullrich voters (23.8%) will be essential for Milei (29.9%) to overtake Massa (36.6%), according to analysts, who say the fear campaign launched against Milei was partly due to growing support.

A change of strategy

That is the question now mercy He could attract new voters with his discourses of Kirchnerism and anti-Kirchnerism.

In his opinion piece in “La Nazion” newspaper, Argentine journalist Martín Rodríguez Yebra wrote that since Miley won the primary “By destroying all the internal logic of politics he confounded the advantage he had gained from the parties of the system (…) he created a set of enemies through his public appearances and the free-thinking exercises of his references, which differed greatly. things.”.

“Apart from Mauricio Macri, he instinctively attacked the leaders of Together for Change. He wanted to portray Patricia Bullrich as one and demolish her ‘Tonera Bomber’. He tried to kill the terrorists ‘Trash’. As if there was no day he would have to ask for votes and support.“, Collaboration.

Argentine political scientist Santiago Rodríguez Rey argues that Miley’s problem is now “He needs a part of the caste he had earlier denounced” And there is a certain disorder in this search for allies.

“There are cross messages, lots of people talking around you, saying the same and different things, offering positions. These kinds of conversations are not done in public, giving left and right positions is not the way to go, and indicates this internal confusion. It may be more prudent to wait longer than 48 hours to start doing it”, he tells El Comercio.

Will he get those votes?

While Miley is looking for votes, the parties themselves are trying to consolidate their position. Rodríguez Rey hints at an internal split in Together for Change, a coalition that received less support Sunday than in the August primaries.

“Patricia Bullrich’s vote was 23%. A group will certainly support Milli, but I don’t think it will be a majority” says the expert.

He adds that while there is a strong preference for a Together vote for change, we should not lose sight of the fact that there are still 10 points between unofficial Peronist Juan Schiaretti and Miriam Bregman of the Left Front and Labor Unity. Two candidates contested on Sunday.

“Although Miley’s approach is now Kirchnerism and anti-Kirchnerism, there are several coalition options. I think Sergio Massa’s position is broader. In Libertad Avanza you can even see messages calling left and Milei has no preference. When it comes to deals, the talks should be serious rather than tweets, memes, man-on-the-air, and that’s what’s happening right now.”, he points out.

In this situation, he says, Miley should let the fallout from today’s win with Massa pass before looking to offer positions and secure alliances. “The only reason we seek to speed up time is to get partners on our side as soon as possible, the problem is that it doesn’t allow us to rearrange or order the groups one wants to interact with. The conversations you want to have urgently need to happen next week”, he concludes.