While Mauricio Macri of the Cambiemos (Let’s Change) party won Argentina’s recent presidential election, ending 12 years of “Kirchnerism”, the country’s population remains deeply divided on Macri’s centre-right ideology. Some hope that the vote for change will help ease inflation, stabilise the economy and reduce crime rates, while others doubt the former Buenos Aires mayor is the right man to do this and fear another economic collapse. With Macri officially replacing outgoing president Christina Fernández de Kirchner Thursday 10 December, here are some of our readers’ views on Argentina’s recent political shift to the right.

‘I am expectant and hoping for better things to come’

Antonella Pérez Faliti, 21, is studying medicine in Córdoba. Born in Río Negro, on the northern edge of Patagonia, she grew up in San Rafael, Mendoza, where her family still lives. She is optimistic about the election result, and believes the time was right for a change.

“Mendoza and Córdoba are two provinces that have both been mismanaged in recent years by politicians. Córdoba has had serious problems, without being supported enough by the previous government, and that was definitely reflected by the Cordoban people at the polls on Sunday.”

Having been brought up in Mendoza, Antonella isn’t surprised that Macri has been supported here either. “Mendoza is known as the province of sun and good wine, and the area produces a lot of vine crops, fruit and vegetables. But along with wine production these agricultural industries have declined tremendously, and now there is little money to pay public employees. Both provinces have had a very good reason to support Cambiemos, so the mood of the people is one of relief, and hope for a better future.”

Despite not belonging to any political party, Antonella is desperate for Macri to get things right and unite the Argentinian people. “For many years now a lot of people have lost a lot of hope. As a society we have got used to keeping quiet if we thought differently than the government. We lost something that as a country we all had earned: democracy. And with time we then lost tolerance.

“The Kirchner government managed to polarise society under the concept of what was right according to them, while attacking anyone who thought differently.”

Despite a sense of optimism and expectation for a better future, Antonella is under no illusion about the challenges facing Macri and his government. “He has a major challenge trying to unite the people of Argentina, while improving our healthcare, economy, education and international relations. But I am expectant and hope for better things to come.”

Mauricio Macri greets his followers while campaigning in Córdoba. Photograph: Reuters

‘It is vital that students are motivated to remain in school for as long as possible, while teachers need to feel more valued’



Mariana Dellavale is an English teacher and translator in Córdoba city. Originally from the rural town of Arroyito in Córdoba province, where Macri won almost 80% of the votes, she explains why the province lying in the middle of Argentina was the strongest bastion of support for Macri.

“There has been strong opposition to Cristina Kirchner’s administration for some time now. Inflation has been affecting people’s salaries and savings, while import and export restrictions have impacted negatively on the province’s economy. Córdoba’s automotive and agricultural industries have both been severely affected. The police strikes in 2013 left Córdoba’s population unprotected against crime and looting. Córdoba’s people can’t forgive this.”

Mariana also believes education standards have slipped badly during the Kirchner administration. “My sisters are language teachers at both private and public schools back in Arroyito. The high dropout rates and low performance rates in public secondary schools are causing great concern.

“This is not just a consequence of social class differences, but more a result of unrest among teachers, who are concerned about the lack of financial incentives for them to continue their training, insufficient infrastructure and obsolete school syllabuses.”

She is hopeful that Macri’s government will improve the state of education in Argentina.

“The new government will enhance education by including up-to-date subjects, introduce new technology to schools and encourage a stronger connection between theory and practice.

“It is vital that students are motivated to remain in school for as long as possible, while teachers need to feel more valued.”

‘A change at the top might help remove people who have acquired teaching jobs on the basis of their political affiliations’

Although her mother’s family originated from Cambridge, both Paula, 43, and her mother were born in Buenos Aires. She has spent the last 19 years teaching European history at Buenos Aires University. She is cautiously optimistic about Macri’s victory, believing that something drastic needs to be done about the state of higher education in the country.

“The importance of state universities in Argentina can’t be emphasised enough. The country needs education, and these free state universities offer an important gateway for upward social mobility.”

Paula believes that higher education and research have been neglected in recent years despite the previous government promising more opportunities for scientists. “Salaries have declined drastically as the government failed to update the income tax minimum. They also cut down on childcare allowances, which affected me personally. In recent years prestigious professors have left their positions, with many unqualified people holding on to positions they don’t deserve. This has seriously affected the quality of teaching at universities across the country.”

While Paula does not have high expectations of Macri, she welcomes the election result, believing it was high time for change. “As the mayor of Buenos Aires, Macri did little to improve education in the city. But this change in power might help remove people who have acquired teaching jobs on the basis of their political affiliation.

“Argentina’s universities should always represent the nation, and rise above party politics. Sadly, this has not been the case in recent years.”

Nicolás Castellanos

‘In the more upmarket areas of Buenos Aires there was cheering all night on election day, but in other areas people were almost crying’

Nicolás Castellanos, 27, moved from the northern province of Salta to Buenos Aires to study and eventually found work with a multinational consultancy. He believes that the election of Macri and Cambiemos has split opinion in Buenos Aires as much as it has elsewhere in the country. “In the more upmarket areas of Buenos Aires there was cheering all night on election day, but in other areas people were almost crying. In wealthy districts like Palermo car horns were honking all night and people were singing the national anthem. But in working-class neighbourhoods like Lugano the mood was sombre and silent.”

Nicolás says that Macri cuts a popular figure in the north and western districts of Buenos Aires, but to the south and east, where there are more slums and poverty, he is less so. “Health and education has suffered in the poorer areas of the city, and Macri has not taken care of these areas. I fear the new government will create a larger divide between the rich and poor, because the economic measures Macri will take will polarise society even more.”

Despite his own profession possibly benefiting from Macri’s plan to remove foreign-exchange controls, which would lead to the devaluation of the peso, Nicolás fears for Argentina’s future. “The Argentinian peso devaluation will benefit multinational companies. But inflation will still hit people in the country hard.

“It has been a growing problem since 2009. Our main economic allies, China and Brazil, are themselves facing economic stagnation, and pressure from the markets to devalue will be met with a lot of resistance from Argentina’s unions. I doubt Cambiemos and Macri’s neocon politics will improve my country’s economic situation.”

‘Macri won’t be able to blame any shortcomings on the national government as he did when he was the mayor of Buenos Aires’

As an accountant for the oil company YPF, Manuel, 28, too is sceptical about how much of a positive impact Macri will have on the Argentinian economy.

“My biggest criticism of the previous government is their lack of a serious plan to decrease inflation in the last 12 years. I’m hopeful that Macri will put an end to it, but at the same time concerned about the measures that are going to be taken to achieve this. A plan to devaluate the peso would mean our salaries would be worth a lot less.”

Dividing his time between Neuquén, one of the five Patagonian provinces, and Buenos Aires, Manuel says Daniel Scioli, the presidential candidate of Cristina Kirchner’s Victory Front coalition, was favoured in Patagonia, while Macri’s term as mayor in Argentina’s capital has been overrated.

“Scioli won the Patagonian oil-producing provinces, because people are afraid Macri’s policies will undermine the industry. There has been a lot of investment in recent years, and the unemployment in Neuquén is extremely low. I also agreed with Scioli’s stances on gay marriage, adoption and education.”

While Macri did a few good things as mayor, says Manuel, his administration had the highest budget but also the highest debt. Comparing Argentinian cities with what they looked like 10 years ago, Mar del Plata, Salta, Rosario and Neuquén have all improved far more than Buenos Aires has done.”

Supporters of Daniel Scioli, the presidential candidate of Cristina Kirchner’s party. Photograph: Iván Fernández/AP

Manuel fears that with such a closely fought presidential battle, it will be a very difficult task for Macri to unite the population. “People in Argentina have been polarised for a long time, and both sides have fanatical supporters expressing political views through violence and intolerance.

“There have been very few rightwing leaders in Argentina remembered for defending the country’s best interests, which is why I am sceptical.”

He suggests that the economic problems of Argentina’s trading partners have made the country’s position even more of a challenge. “Our biggest partner is Brazil and they have been in recession for the last five years. That’s a fact a lot of people fail to consider when blaming Argentina’s economic plight solely at the feet of the outgoing Cristina Fernández [de Kirchner] administration.

“But Macri needs to convince many people that he will not turn to [the] neoliberal policies that nearly bankrupted Argentina in the 90s. He won’t be able to blame any shortcomings on the national government as he did when he was the mayor of Buenos Aires.”

‘Talk of public spending cuts has fuelled people’s recession fears’

Monica, 56, was born in the capital, where she works as a translator, but lives in the La Matanza district of Buenos Aires province. She says there was only one clear winner in the district where she lives:“While there’s a lot of support for Macri in Buenos Aires city, he lost in the province, and particularly in La Matanza, where Kirchner’s Front for Victory won 65% of the vote.”

She has yet to be convinced about Macri’s plans for the future of Argentina and the economy in particular. “Inflation rates are too high, but wages and pensions have gone up as well. Higher income has resulted in more consumption and production, but while businesses are happy about making money like never before they are worried about workers’ rising wages.

“But I’m convinced Macri will fight inflation by shrinking the economy and freeing imports, while plans to borrow money from the IMF can only mean two things: austerity and recession. We’ve seen it happen before.”

Monica also believes that Macri could have done more during his time as mayor of Buenos Aires. “There is a sharp contrast between the wealthy north and the slums and shanty towns of the underdeveloped south. A lot of money has been borrowed, leading to a lot of unnecessary debt.”

Macri’s narrow victory margin of 2.8% means it will be hard for the new administration to introduce radical reforms. But his plans have not impressed Monica so far. “There is a lot of worrying talk about devaluation and the need to cut wages and remove trade barriers. But in Argentina such policies have always led to rising prices, and severe threats to local manufacturing.

“Talk of public spending cuts has fuelled people’s recession fears. Macri has taken part in previous failed neoliberal experiments that affected people’s livelihoods and I fear similar plans would throw us into chaos again.”

A supporter of the outgoing Argentinian president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Photograph: Eitan Abramovich/AFP/Getty

‘Macri could improve education across the country but his track record doesn’t give much hope’

Juan Peredo, 22, has lived his whole life in Buenos Aires and believes that as the richest city in the country, the capital has always supported conservative politicians.

“The majority of the city’s inhabitants are happy with the election result. But Macri had a much too easy ride of it as mayor. The elections he won in 2007 and 2011 [were against opponents who were] ...incompetent and inexperienced.”

Juan believes Macri will have a tough task in trying to unite a very divided population, which came across very clearly on polling day. “Some are happy, some are devastated, but many people voted for what they perceived to be the lesser of two evils, hence the close result.”

As a medical student at Buenos Aires University, Juan is not convinced that Macri will improve the country’s education and health. “He underspent the city’s budget on education and health, while protesting doctors and teachers were repressed with force in some cases, and if he underuses the education budget for the country in a similar way there could be problems.

“No one would support any plans to privatise universities and schools, so at least Macri can’t make education any worse. He could improve education across the country if he proposes to, but his track record doesn’t give much hope. I didn’t trust Macri when he was mayor of our city and on the campaign trail, but I am ready to be proved wrong.”

You can view more Argentina election contributions or add your own on GuardianWitness