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The left Gabriel Boric becomes the youngest President of Chile at the age of 35. In the runoff election, he clearly prevailed with 56 percent of the vote. His opponent, the far-right José Antonio Kast, acknowledged his defeat. Due to the great differences between the two candidates, the choice was seen as setting the course, and for many as the most important choice for over 30 years.
Boric won the elections on the promise of profound structural changes. He emphasized this in his victory speech: “We will no longer allow the poor to continue to pay the price for inequality in Chile.”
A final break with Pinochet’s legacy
Chile has the highest per capita income in South America, but not all can benefit from it. Boric calls for a stronger state presence in the areas of health, pensions and education.
He wants to finally break with the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship (1973 to 1990) and his economic model, which many blame for the great social inequality in Chile. A convention has been writing a new constitution since the summer, the current one originating from the Pinochet dictatorship. Their abolition was one of the central demands of the social protests of 2019. Boric supports this process.
High voter turnout helped the left
Voting is one of the reasons for Gabriel Boric’s victory. At almost 56 percent, it is higher than it has been in ten years. This was particularly helpful for the 35-year-old, who has been able to address more non-voters in recent weeks. Also because the lawyer moderated his positions and approached the middle. He acknowledged that Chile had problems with crime and the tax hike he had announced should not be that high.
Boric relies on alliances
The hopes and expectations of the new president are high. It won’t be easy for his government.
On the one hand, a stalemate between right and left parties in Congress severely restricts the new government’s creative power. This means that Boric not only has to keep the many moderate promises he made during the election campaign, but also has to apply them in dialogue with Congress. Much will depend on how he will manage to forge covenants.
Gabriel Boric will not only have to share power with the Congress, but also with the 155 members of the Convention who will write the new constitution for Chile by next summer.
Balance between order and change
This limits the president. Because the 35-year-old will not have the freedom that he would like.
In Chile, the main focus in the next few years will be on the scope of the social reforms that have been called for during protests and the pandemic. Boric has to meet the demand for change, but also the demand for order. And balancing this balance is the key that Boric was given by the voters for the presidential palace.