The paradox of losing before the elections

ARGENTINA - Report 19 Aug 2019 by Esteban Fernández Medrano

The unexpected electoral result of the primaries stunned the government and left the president with a paradoxical dilemma. How can Macri recognize a defeat if the actual elections have not yet taken place? And yet, how can he convincingly help in the upcoming electoral process, if the primaries suggest that he has already lost?

The official campaign period for the October 27 elections starts on September 22. While Macri´s electoral outlook is bleak, "Juntos por el Cambio" (JC) as a political entity needs to do its best to maintain its internal coherence and compete in the hope of retaining as many electoral positions as possible. Therefore, Macri´s involvement, with strong conviction, is required, both to try to win voters and also to maintain internal cohesion, even if the base case scenario is that JC (or its individual parties) will become an opposition force from December 10 onward.

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