Primary voters in Argentina have signaled strong support for populist opposition candidate Alberto Fernandez and his running mate Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Results from the presidential primary released Monday showed a 15.5% gap in votes between Fernandez and the incumbent president Mauricio Macri. Pollsters had anticipated a Fernandez lead, but not by such a substantial margin. The Fernandez ticket received 47.65% of votes. In the October election, a candidate who receives 45% of the vote wins automatically. The significant margin demonstrates the dissatisfaction among voters regarding Macri’s handling of the economy, which has witnessed high inflation and unemployment during his tenure. Many investors fear that higher government spending under a populist government would damage the economy, potentially leading to even higher inflation or defaulting on IMF loans.
