Nearly 34 million Argentineans are expected to vote, Sunday, August 11, the general primary that will mark a trend before the presidential 27 October next, during which the Liberal Mauricio Macri seek to be reelected at the head of the third economy of Latin America - mired in the recession.

Created in 2009, the system of general primaries for all political parties, the same day and in a national poll, is an Argentinean peculiarity. In the country - where voting is mandatory - it is more of a full-size poll before the general election in October, all candidates having already been invested by their parties.

The results of Sunday night will therefore be watched under the microscope by the political staffs and markets, since since 2009, the results of the polls were in line with the scores of the primaries.

Another peculiarity of the presidential coming: the Peronist movement, which ruled Argentina from 1989 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2015, is divided into three.

Macri, Fernandez and Lavagna as three main candidates

Former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, former Prime Minister Alberto Fernandez - associated with former President Cristina Kirchner - and outgoing center-right president Mauricio Macri are the three main candidates.

Mauricio Macri created the surprise with his choice of running mate: by taking the Peronist leader Miguel Angel Pichetto, he broke with his doctrine that had led him until then to keep out the Peronists of his government. The desire to expand the coalition government has won. Their ticket evolves under the banner "Together for change" (Juntos por el cambio), created for the occasion.

Alberto Fernandez, who was Nestor's then Cristina Kirchner's head of government between 2003 and 2008, swears that he has broken with the left-wing policies of the past and has refocused. To everyone's surprise - as she was leading the polls - Cristina Kirchner announced her withdrawal on May 18th.

Charged with several corruption cases, the former president (2007 - 2015) retains a decisive influence on the Citizens' Unity party she founded and which has invested Alberto Fernandez. Their electoral ticket comes under a banner recently created and called "The Front of All" (El Frente de todos).

Two currency crises in 2018

Sign of interest in these primaries, the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange closed Friday up 8%, analysts explain this trend by the latest polls more favorable to the candidate markets, the outgoing Mauricio Macri. Until last week, surveys gave the Fernandez-Kirchner duo a lead of 5 to 8 points over Macri's.

"But now, markets believe that (the gap) could be less: between 3 and 5. They believe that it will be reversible in October and they base their optimism on it," said AFP. economist Ramiro Castiñeira.

Overwhelmed by two currency crises in 2018 that caused its currency to lose 50% of its value, Argentina applied for and obtained an IMF loan of more than $ 57 billion. In this country in recession since last year, inflation and unemployment remain very high over the last 12 months, respectively at 40% and 10.1%.

With AFP