The Public Opinion Observation Laboratory (LOOP) of the University of San Andrés published the results of its Political Satisfaction and Public Opinion survey. This is a nationwide study of 1,004 cases, carried out between November 21 and 28, 2024.
The work – which can be consulted in full here – investigates “satisfaction with the general progress of things, the performance of political powers and public policies, approval of the government and opinion regarding the main national political leaders. “It also asks about social trends and political issues.”
Being close to the first year of Javier Milei, the study stops to consult at first about the general opinion of the population regarding the situation in the country. Thus, the result is that 52% of those consulted are “dissatisfied” with the general progress of things, while 46% are “satisfied”. When asking about the approval of Javier Milei’s government, that number tends to be reversed, with 54% approving his management and 44% disapproving, confirming the tendencies towards political polarization and the slight rebound of the ruling party in recent weeks that other studies also point out, achieved based on a temporary stabilization of the economic and political situation. Among those who support the president, words like “hope” or “confidence” are expressed, while “uncertainty” continues to have force. “Disgust”, “rejection” and “shame” arise in the vocabulary of those who oppose the presidency of Freedom Advances.
On another level, “Poverty” (38%), “low wages” (36%) and “insecurity” (34%) appear as the main concerns expressed by those consulted.
Thinking about the future, one of the strongest contradictions that arises for the government of Freedom Advances the thing is 50% of the population expresses that they want “a larger State that provides more services and takes care of more issues”while only 28% prefer “a smaller State that provides fewer services and addresses fewer issues.” 16% express that they prefer not to respond on the topic.
The situation becomes even more complex, given that 81% say that the government should increase the Social Security budget, 79.5% say the same regarding Public Health and 71.3% regarding Public Education.
In all these items, not only a great contradiction arises for the official discourse and its cultural battle regarding the shrinking of the State, but also a source of future conflictsas the government advances even further with its fiscal adjustment plans and reorganization of the entire national economy in order to pay the large public debt maturities expected in the coming months and years. Beyond successive situations, the underlying issue is that sooner or later these policies will come into contradiction with these desires and needs expressed by a large majority of the population, in a context of 52% poverty and demands postponed for long years of crises and unpopular policies of successive governments. Far from the strategic strength that some project as a result of Javier Milei’s “summer”, these data show a potential source of difficulties and class strugglebeing a government that has not yet managed to be hegemonic with respect to society as a whole for the application of its plans to refound the country with more dedication, deregulation in favor of the market and free rein to extractivism, beyond the conformity that At the moment he obtains compared to those who voted for him in 2023 and that his main strength today comes from the collaboration of different opposition parties that let him do it. In this area, some setback in its policy of maintaining the dollar without devaluing, an event of international shock, events of class struggle or political setbacks for the ruling party, could be factors of instability.
Another fact of great importance to highlight has to do with the fact that Myriam Bregman and Nicolás del Caño are among the leaders with the most positive image among those who disapprove of the government. In the case of the last presidential candidate of the Left Front, she is third in that ranking, just behind Axel Kicillof and Cristina Kirchner, with a positive image of 48%, above Juan Grabois who appears fourth on the list. In turn, the national deputy Nicolás del Caño appears fifth in the table, with 33% of positive image in the sector of those who oppose the government. It should be noted that they are below the two leaders of the left Sergio Massa, Juan Schiaretti, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, Martín Lousteau and many other relevant figures in national politics. This clearly speaks to the importance of the left as a voice on the national stage.
These are highly relevant data, which are in line with other studies that have been highlighting the growth of the leaders of the PTS and the Left Front due to their coherent role as opponents and their commitment to the struggles of workers, women and youth. They are valued as leaders who have been consistently opposed to the Milei government both in their parliamentary activity and in supporting all popular fights. Other recent investigations – such as that of the Tendencias Consultant – have been highlighting, on the contrary, the crisis of Peronism, given that although it is the space seen as the main opposition, at the same time there is a considerable part of its voters who are dissatisfied with the role of this political space, not only due to the failure of his last administration as Frente de Todos, but also due to the contributions to Javier Milei by some of his members in the National Congress, due to scandals such as that of Alberto Fernández, due to internal of space or for the truce that the Peronist union leaders have been offering to Freedom Advancesletting Milei’s plan run in reality. Peronism’s strategy of waiting until 2025 and 2027 seems to be a source of displeasure among many of its voters.
In summary, this study from the University of San Andrés confirms, then, the great challenge and the great opportunity that the left has to propose to challenge millions of workers and young people to put up resistance to the attacks, in the perspective to build an alternative to defeat Milei.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
