Sergio Massa, the finance minister for Argentina, shocked observers by obtaining more than 36% of the vote in the presidential vote on Sunday, setting up a run-off election with far-right contender Javier Milei.
Many had anticipated that voters would penalise Mr. Massa for preside over a financial crisis, so his advantage came as a surprise.
Argentina’s inflation is getting close to 140%.
No contender had obtained the necessary 45% of votes needed to win the election outright after practically all ballots had been counted.
As a result, on November 19 there will be a second round in which voters will have to decide between Mr. Massa, a member of the left-wing Peronist organisation, and Mr. Milei, a far-right libertarian.
With 30% of the vote, Mr. Milei, who had won the primary in August, fell to second place.
Former security minister and conservative Patricia Bullrich placed third with 23.8%.
After the race, Ms. Bullrich attacked Sergio Massa, who had won, stating, “I will not congratulate someone who has been a part of the worst government in Argentina’s history.”
Juan Schiaretti and Myriam Bregman, the other two contenders, trailed far behind with 6.8% and 2.7%, respectively.
Following his unexpected victory, several of Mr. Massa’s fans flocked to the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate.
According to Luis Esquivel, who spoke to the BBC, “What Massa showed was that he was the only candidate that has a serious project for the country.”
The results demonstrate that he ran a strong campaign, according to Juliana Agrofoglio, a 27-year-old. She continued by saying that voters had united to “confront the fear” she claimed Mr. Milei had stoked.
READ ALSO: Argentina overcomes Peru in World Cup qualifying match, with Messi breaking Suarez’s record
Voters seeking a dramatic solution to Argentina’s economic crisis found appeal in Mr. Milei’s proposals, which included abolishing the central bank and switching to the US dollar as Argentina’s official currency.
In addition, he has pledged to loosen gun control regulations, cut back on government bureaucracy, and restrict access to abortion.
The “most important election in the last 100 years,” Mr. Milei proclaimed to his followers, was held on Sunday, and the result was “historic” because “Argentines voted for a change.”
While many Argentines are eager for dramatic change, according to Benjamin Gedan, director of the Argentina Project at the Wilson Centre think tank in Washington, “a lot of Argentines have a lot to lose from the dismantling of the social welfare state” that Mr. Milei envisions.
“If Milei is at rallies wielding a chainsaw, well, at the other end of that chainsaw is people’s quality of life,” Mr. Gedan told the AFP news agency.
Meanwhile, Mr. Massa spent a large portion of his campaign defending the qualifications of the incumbent administration.
He addressed his fans in Buenos Aires, saying, “Our country is in a complicated situation (…) but you believed we were the best tool to build a new step in Argentina’s history.”
The 51-year-old argued that the IMF debt accrued by the previous center-right administration was the cause of the austerity measures adopted by his government.
With two candidates who are so diametrically opposed to one another, tensions are expected to worsen in the four weeks leading up to the run-off, which comes at a very trying moment for Argentina’s economy.
Whoever prevails in the run-off will face a challenging task: winning over a nation weary of politics and populated by citizens eager for their circumstances to change.
