Argentina's ruling coalition loses senate majority in midterm elections

Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez has called for dialogue with the opposition after projections from midterm parliamentary elections showed his governing coalition lost control of the Senate.

"We need to prioritize national agreements if we want to resolve the challenges we face," said Fernandez in a speech, adding that he would approach opposition groups to try to find common ground on an agenda.
Reuters

"We need to prioritize national agreements if we want to resolve the challenges we face," said Fernandez in a speech, adding that he would approach opposition groups to try to find common ground on an agenda.

President Alberto Fernandez has suffered a severe setback in Argentina's midterm elections, with his governing coalition losing control of the Senate. 

Fernandez's Frente de Todos (Everyone's Front) coalition looked set to drop from 41 to 35 seats in the 72-member Senate, based on projections of Sunday's election. 

"If the numbers are confirmed, effectively we've lost the quorum in the Senate," a government source told AFP.

More than 90 percent of the votes have been counted.

According to the official count, the centre-right coalition Together for Change got 40.1 percent of the votes in Buenos Aires province while the president’s coalition got 38.4 percent. 

Together for Change also led in Santa Fe, Cordoba and the city of Buenos Aires, other districts with important electoral weight.

Nearly half the Chamber of Deputies seats were up for grabs, as well as a third of Senate seats in the election, which was held amid widespread anger over high inflation and rising poverty.

Cooperation with opposition

Nearly half the Chamber of Deputies seats were up for grabs, as well as a third of Senate seats in the election, which was held amid widespread anger over high inflation and rising poverty.

Front for Everyone, which is made up of a collection of Peronist and leftist parties, has been threatened with falling from its position as the biggest bloc in the Chamber of Deputies.

It has been able to pass laws by controlling the Senate while relying on support from independents in the lower house, where the coalition held a strong minority.

Fernandez will now likely be forced to make concessions to the opposition during the last two years of his mandate in order to pass laws or make key appointments, including to the judiciary.

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'Punishment' vote

The result was seen as a “punishment” vote against the Fernandez government for hardships that have accompanied a 10 percent fall in Argentina's economy last year. 

More than 40 percent of the country's 45 million inhabitants live in poverty, unemployment is close to 10 percent and inflation in October ran at an annual rate of nearly 42 percent.

The government was also hurt by perceptions of rising insecurity and a series of scandals including violations by Fernandez and those close to him of pandemic health restrictions. 

Interior Minister Eduardo de Pedro said the turnout was around 71 percent, beating the 67 percent from September's primaries, the lowest since Argentina returned to democracy.

READ MORE: No more obstacles to Argentine ex-president testifying in wiretapping case

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