A New Political Order in Argentina

Peronism, now represented by Argentina's Justicialist Party, is one of that country's most popular and successful political movements. Based on the ideology and legacy of former President Juan Domingo Perón and his wife Eva Perón, the Justicialist Party supports populist policies and has won 9 of the 12 presidential elections held since 1946. Across the aisle, the Radical Civic Union is a centrist social-liberal political party formed in 1891 and has been the main opposition to Peronist governments. One or the other of these two political parties ruled in Argentina from 1946 until 2015, when the political coalition Cambiemos ("Let's Change") was created.

The victory of President Mauricio Macri’s Cambiemos coalition in the recent midterm election opens the door to what could become a systemic change in Argentine politics. A new party system appears to be forming, challenging the hold of the two traditional parties. Does the recent success of Cambiemos, in fact, signal a new direction for Argentine politics? Is Argentina entering a period of meaningful democratic renewal?

On November 21, Hudson Institute hosted a discussion with Hector Schamis, a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Latin American Studies and Democracy & Governance Program. Hudson Senior Fellow Jaime Daremblum moderated the conversation.