Opposition hawks and doves fight for nomination in Argentina’s presidential race

A common observation of foreigners living in Buenos Aires is how highly politicized the place seems when compared to their places of origin. Street protests are almost part of the scenery, and political discussions go deep into the night, be it at a high-end restaurant or in a small-town bar over pizza.

Things were not the same throughout 2022, however. The local hype over the Qatar football World Cup was already unprecedented well before the first ball was kicked and reached the next level after Argentina’s ultimate dramatic victory over France in the final, occupying all of the country’s mental bandwidth. 

But while toasting for the champions is still the norm in any meeting, the 2023 presidential election is also inevitably starting to rear its head on the horizon.

Electoral coalitions must be registered by June 14, and all their candidates must be publicly listed before June 24. The all-important nationwide primaries are scheduled for August 13, and the primary winners will fight for the presidency on October 22. 

With that calendar in mind, government and opposition parties are already discussing their strategies behind closed doors, with no clear presidential candidate in the ruling center-left Peronist coalition or the center-right opposition group Juntos por el Cambio (Together for Change).

President Alberto Fernández is dealing with poor polling numbers and constant conflicts with Vice President Cristina Kirchner, meaning his re-election bid is not a given.

Economy Minister Sergio Massa, Interior Minister “Wado” De Pedro, Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof,...