Argentine voters deal a blow to the ruling Peronist coalition

“IN PERONISM, YOU always get laid.” When Victoria Tolosa Paz, the Peronist who is the government’s leading candidate for the lower house of Congress in the province of Buenos Aires, said this in an interview she found herself with a viral campaign line. But while Ms Tolosa Paz, an accountant, was happy to talk about sex, she appeared to ignore more serious issues. In a country where annual inflation is over 50% and unemployment is in double digits, voters have other concerns. In a nationwide vote on September 12th, they signalled their disapproval of the ruling coalition, which won fewer votes than the opposition in 17 of 24 districts. Three days later, five ministers offered to resign.

The vote was technically a primary for congressional elections due in November, halfway through the president’s term, when a third of senators and half of the chamber of deputies will be chosen. In Argentina’s unusual electoral system, however, primaries function more like the first round of a two-round election. Voting is compulsory, and voters are presented with lists of candidates from all registered parties. They select one list for each office to go forward to the general election. The lists that win less than 1.5% of the vote in their district are excluded. So in addition to winnowing the field, the primary gives an indication of what the outcome of the general election itself is likely to be.