Initial results in Argentine elections show opposition winning mid-terms [View all]

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Argentina's main opposition coalition held leads in congressional mid-term elections on Sunday, early results showed, indicating a strong challenge to the ruling Peronist coalition.

Nationally, and with 98% of the vote counted, the right-wing Together for Change coalition had a strong lead of 43% to 34% for the ruling Front for All in House races - and 48% to 28% in Senate races.

President Alberto Fernández's center-left Front for All coalition is projected to lose 2 of its 120 House seats, and 6 of its 41 Senate seats - still leaving them as the largest coalition in each house, albeit with razor-thin majorities that would leave them dependent on minor parties for passage of any legislation.

Together for Change, in turn, would retain its 116 House seats, and add 5 Senators for 34 seats including allies - leaving Peronists without a 50%+ majority in the Senate for the first time democracy returned to Argentina in 1983.

The results may likewise jeopardize House Speaker Sergio Massa's post - a key centrist ally of the Fernández administration and a leading contender for the 2027 Peronist nomination.

Rampant inflation of 52% and fallout from the release in August of photos of the presidential couple hosting friends for the First Lady's birthday in July 2020 - when gatherings were still restricted - have hurt public support for the government, despite a strong economic recovery this year of 10.8% and a 96% drop in new Covid cases since June highs.

Over 34 million Argentines were eligible to vote, with turnout (around 72%) showing an improvement from the 68% recorded in the first round in September - but below the average 75% turnout in recent federal elections.

A high vaccination rate of 89% among adults (76%, both doses) allowed for lower wait times at polling places than in September.

At: https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/initial-results-in-argentinas-election-show-opposition-winning-key-races.phtml

An exultant María Vidal waves to supporters at the right-wing 'Together for Change' opposition's mid-term election night rally in Buenos Aires - with former Argentine President Mauricio Macri clasping his hands beside her.

While the opposition fell slightly short of its first-round results in September, today's results will deprive the ruling, center-left Front for All of its ample Senate majority - leaving President Alberto Fernández with razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate.

Fernández will now depend on minor parties to pass everything from the 2023 federal budget, to an expected IMF agreement to refinance the record, $45 billion debt inherited from Macri in 2019.