Argentina in 2005

Argentina in 2005

Area: 2,780,092 sq km (1,073,400 sq mi)
Population(2005 est.): 38,592,000
Capital: Buenos Aires
Head of state: President Néstor Kirchner

In 2005 Pres. Néstor Kirchner of the Justicialist (Peronist) Party (PJ) greatly consolidated his dominance over the country’s political system. Kirchner, elected in 2003 with the support of then president Eduardo Duhalde—at the time the undisputed boss of the PJ in the province of Buenos Aires (PBA)—had maintained a tacit alliance with Duhalde under which the former president supported Kirchner in national-level affairs and Kirchner did not interfere with politics in the PBA. Chafing at the continued power wielded by Duhalde, Kirchner broke with him and challenged Duhalde’s party machine in the PBA in the October 23 midterm elections.

Kirchner’s challenge proved to be very successful. The PBA Senate race was the marquee battle of the day. The race featured Kirchner’s spouse, Sen. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, running under the Front for Victory banner against Duhalde’s spouse, former congressional deputy Hilda (“Chiche”) González de Duhalde, of the Justicialist Front. “Cristina” soundly defeated “Chiche” by a margin of 46% to 20%, which thereby strengthened Kirchner’s control of the PJ at the national level and in the PBA and severely weakened Duhalde politically.

Throughout the country members of the governing PJ ran on numerous party lists, often competing among themselves (for instance, in many provinces a pro-Kirchner faction competed as the Front for Victory and an anti-Kirchner or neutral PJ faction as either the official PJ or using a province-specific name). The PJ (including a handful of non-Peronists placed on the Peronist lists at Kirchner’s behest as well as a handful of anti-Kirchner Peronists) won 21 of the 24 Senate seats and 78 of the 127 Chamber seats. A very fragmented non-Peronist opposition won the remaining seats. The Radical Civic Union garnered the 3 other Senate seats as well as 21 Chamber seats. Only two other parties won 5 or more seats in the Chamber: Affirmation for an Equitable Republic and Republican Proposal, each of which won 9 seats.

Argentina enjoyed robust growth in 2005 as the economy benefited from elevated world prices for the country’s principal agricultural and mineral exports, a booming industrial sector (aided by a purposefully undervalued peso), and a high level of consumer confidence. While the country’s GDP grew by 9% during the year, Argentina’s economic future was uncertain. Investors remained reluctant to invest in medium- and long-term projects for a host of reasons, including the prospect of energy shortages in 2006 and beyond, the government’s frequent failure to respect legal contracts and negotiate in good faith, the government’s often hostile treatment of foreign (in particular) and domestic companies, and a rising inflation rate (12% in 2005).

by: Mark P. Jones