John Key ally set to win Argentinian presidency

The John Key-led International Democrat Union has a new political victory to celebrate.

Centre-right candidate Mauricio Macri looks to be a winner of the presidential election in Argentina.

His win will offset the potential setback for the IDU of a centre-right government being displaced in Portugal.

The government there lost its majority in the election and was briefly replaced by a coalition of socialist and far-left parties.

But that failed in 12 days, leaving Portugal in a political limbo with the president unable to call another election or finding enough support in parliament for a new one.

Last month, before Mr Key attended New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup win in London, he chaired the annual meeting of the IDU in Morocco.

It represents a broad selection of 71 conservative and liberal parties, which have also achieved electoral success recently in countries as diverse as Poland, Tanzania and Guatemala.

Peronist era ends
Meanwhile, after counting more than 90% of the votes in the presidential election run-off in Argentina, Mr Macri is ahead of his Peronist candidate Daniel Scioli at a margin of 52.2% to 47.8%.

Mr Macri is leader of the Cambiemos (Let's Change) coalition and is also mayor of Buenos Aires.

Mr Scioli is the governor of Buenos Aires province and is backed by former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who succeeded her late husband Néstor Kirchner.

In total, they ran Argentina for more than a decade and carried on the tradition of Juan Peron, who ruled Argentina from 1946-55 and again from 1973-74 (when he died).

In the first round of voting, with three candidates, Mr Macri achieved 36.7% to Mr Scioli’s 34.5%, forcing a run-off.

Mr Macri has campaigned on pledges to bring new investment into the ailing economy, tackle crime and fight corruption.

He is the son of one of Argentina's richest men and had a long career in business before entering politics.

His victory could signal a change in Argentina’s fortunes just as Air New Zealand prepares its first direct service to Buenos Aires on December 1.

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