Presidential Shake-Up in Argentina: Mauricio Macri Dislodges “Kirchnerista” Peronismo from the Casa Rosada

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Cambiemos leader Mauricio Macri edged out Daniel Scioli, candidate of the ruling Frente para la Victoria, also known as Kirchnerismo, the left-wing of the Peronista party. While the narrow victory was more a product of a divided Peronismo than a united opposition, that did not dissuade observers from widely hailing the victory as an important and fundamental moment of change.  Argentines did not see great difference between the two candidates who both claimed the mantle of “moderate” and kept their policies rather vague, even if in the final push the Kirchneristas did try to draw sharp distinctions between their two economic “models.”  With Congress still in Peronista hands, the new president will have limited room to maneuver, though Argentine foreign policy is likely to sharply change course, especially regarding relations in the region.