Political twist in Argentina: former president Cristina Kirchner takes control of the Peronist party, the leading opposition force. Is a new era dawning for the Argentine left in the face of ultraliberal President Javier Milei?
The Argentine political landscape is experiencing a major earthquake. Cristina Kirchner, the charismatic former president and leading figure of the left, is preparing to take control of the Justicialist Party (PJ), better known as the Peronist party. Founded in 1946 by Juan Domingo Peron, this historic party currently constitutes the main opposition force against ultraliberal President Javier Milei.
This turnaround follows a court decision handed down last Friday. The election scheduled for November 17 to designate the new leader of the PJ took an unexpected turn with the invalidation by the courts of a list competing with that of Ms. Kirchner. The latter therefore finds herself alone in the running and should therefore be proclaimed president of the party without even going to the polls.
A dominant figure in Argentine politics
At 71 years old, “CFK”, as she is nicknamed, is not at her first stroke of brilliance. President of Argentina for two consecutive terms from 2007 to 2015, then vice-president of Alberto Fernandez from 2019 to 2023, she has established herself as the tutelary figure of the Argentine left of which she has been the almost sole decision-maker for almost 20 years old.
However, becoming president of the PJ will be a first for her. A strategic position all the more crucial as the Peronist party, although the leading force in Parliament, remains in shock from its scathing defeat in the 2023 presidential election won by Javier Milei with 55% of the votes.
Peronism in search of a new lease of life
The polls are clear: the Peronist opposition is struggling to revive against Javier Milei who maintains relatively stable support at around 45%. The new ultraliberal president is riding on encouraging results against inflation, reduced to around 4% monthly, despite the social impact of a recession estimated at -3.5% for 2024.
In this gloomy context, the return of Cristina Kirchner to the helm of the PJ appears like an electric shock for a party in full doubt. The one who miraculously survived an assassination attempt in 2022, intends to use her influence to influence Argentine political life.
CFK: an uncertain judicial future
The great legal unknown remains. On November 13, the Argentine Court of Cassation must rule on the sentencing of Ms. Kirchner in 2022 to six years in prison and ineligibility for life in a case of fraudulent public procurement during her presidency.
However, according to consistent sources, the former head of state would have little chance of seeing these sentences become effective, whether for a question of age or taking into account the possibilities of appeal before the Supreme Court.
Cristina Kirchner's revenge?
Imperturbable, “CFK” proclaimed loud and clear “I’m not going anywhere” after the crushing defeat of 2023. A warning that could not be clearer about its determination to remain an essential figure on the Argentine political scene.
According to several media, she would even consider running in the mid-term legislative elections in 2025. A credible hypothesis although it faces declining popularity beyond the hard core Peronists. The rejection it arouses a priori compromises any new presidential aspiration.
Whatever the case, his takeover of the Peronist party undeniably marks the beginning of a new chapter in his standoff with those in power. At 71, Cristina Kirchner is determined not to give up. Argentine politics has definitely not finished being written in “Kirchnerist” ink.
