Milei retreats into electoral reform and bets on the suspension of primaries

“Eliminating Paso makes life easier for Milei’s party, freedom advances, because it is likely that in a party where there is no agreement on how to integrate the list of deputies and senators, perhaps this could fracture the president’s party – or that is, that that There is a fragmentation of libertarian politicians. What Milei wants is to prevent this fragmentation and achieve cohesion among libertarians, “explained Ignacio Labaqui, a political analyst and professor at UCA (Catholic University of Argentina).

According to political analysts, without the Paso, the party leaders of each state will have more power to elaborate their own lists. The possibility matters some political forces in Argentina, not just Milei’s party. The reason is that primary elections determine a floor of 1.5% of valid votes so that political forces can dispute the general elections. Parties that do not overcome the number cannot compete in October.

Another point of interest of Javier Milei to suspend the Paso is that the primary elections in Argentina are a kind of electoral census, says Labaqui. The dispute encompasses the entire universe of voters, generating political and economic impacts. “Primary in August for example may show that Peronism has an advantage in Buenos Aires province and this may have impacts on the market. The government also wants to avoid it,” said Labaqui.