Former Argentine President Mauricio Macri is positioning himself for a 2027 presidential bid to challenge incumbent Javier Milei, signaling a potential fracture in the alliance between his PRO party and the current ultradear-right administration. Following a meeting of PRO legislators in Buenos Aires last Thursday, associates of the former president confirmed that work is already underway to prepare a campaign, even as Macri avoids an explicit declaration of his candidacy.
Laura Alonso, a former head of the Anti-Corruption Office and a key ally of Macri, stated that the party has initiated a nationwide mobilization effort. “The PRO will have a presidential candidate and Macri could be it, because he is the best of everything the party has to offer Argentina,” Alonso told the news agency EFE. According to Alonso, the party has activated a nationwide push known as the “Macri-signal” to promote what it calls the “next step” of change in the country.
A fractured base in the shadow of Milei
Macri’s path to the presidency faces significant structural hurdles. Since Milei’s 2023 victory, the PRO has seen a steady exodus of its members to the ruling La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party. Notable figures, including former presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich, have joined the executive branch or shifted their legislative loyalties to the officialist bloc. This migration has weakened the historical leadership of the party Macri founded, forcing him to attempt a precarious reconstruction of his political authority.
Public opinion presents another obstacle. A recent survey conducted by Atlas Intel and Bloomberg, which polled over 4,000 individuals, placed Macri’s negative image at 69%, with only 22% positive approval. In comparison, President Milei holds a 38% positive rating, while the imprisoned former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner maintains a 39% positive rating. Alonso dismissed these figures as data points intended to guide the party's future strategy.
Analysts are divided on the viability of such a campaign. Cristian Buttié, director of the consulting firm CB, noted that Macri’s electoral competitiveness must be analyzed through the lens of extreme polarization. While some observers suggest a Macri candidacy may struggle to defeat Milei, it remains a potent tool to siphon support away from the current administration. Alonso framed the effort as a necessary evolution of the economic agenda, stating that the party is preparing for “a second phase of change, which is the construction of an economic model that spills over or benefits all Argentines after the effort and the sacrifice that is being carried out.”
The 2027 electoral calendar, which will feature primaries followed by general elections in the second half of the year, remains subject to the nation's legal thresholds. To avoid a runoff, a candidate must secure 45% of the vote, or 40% with a 10-point lead over the runner-up.
