For Argentina to Succeed, Peronism Needs to Reform
Argentina’s most influential political movement faces a reckoning. For the good of the country and the party, it should seek to change from within.
What worked in the 1950s won’t work in the 2020s.
Photographer: Bettmann/BettmannJavier Milei has sparked headlines since the start of his presidency in Argentina in December with his abrasive style and all-or-nothing strategy. Much less noted has been a debate within Peronism, the party that has governed the country for most of its recent history, over its political future.
Several Peronist figures are suggesting that the movement founded by Juan Domingo Perón in the 1940s should reformulate its proposals after suffering one of its most humiliating defeats in last November’s presidential election. While this reckoning is not the first the party has faced, it’s a timely opportunity for Peronism to do some soul-searching and update its doctrine and ideas.