After the Re-election: The Disappointment?

Abstract

Looking to the parliamentary elections of 1997 —and the presidential elections of 1999— in Argentina, the article provides an account of the achievements and failures of President Menem’s administration between 1989 and 1996, in order to present three possible post-election scenarios. In the first scenario, Menem is able to retain his power, he can aspire to a third nomination or at least become the great elector within the PJ. In the second, he loses some of it, increasing the chances of opposition parties to win the 1999 presidential election. In the last one, Menem suffers heavy wear but there is still uncertainty about his future. Basically, the author questions how long would last Menem’s power after his reelection, facing a bleak economic outlook.