What is Peronism?
Peronism is the most durable political force in Argentina. It grew from the rule of Juan Domingo Perón, an army colonel who became president in 1946. He built a movement on the support of trade unions and the urban poor. Peronism promised social justice, economic independence and national sovereignty. It praises the dignity of labour and the unity of the nation, and it has a strong leader at its centre. It has no fixed doctrine, and over the decades it has been claimed by leftists, conservatives and market reformers alike.
Core beliefs
- Workers should have a larger share of the nation's wealth and real power.
- The state should guide the economy and defend national industry.
- Argentina should be free of foreign control, in business and in politics.
- Class conflict should be settled by cooperation between unions, business and the state.
- A strong leader should speak directly for the people.
- Peronism should be a broad movement, more than a normal party.
History
Perón rose in the military government after 1943, where he ran the labour department and won the loyalty of unions. He won the 1946 election. With his wife Eva, who died in 1952, he raised wages, extended pensions and health care, and brought in votes for women in 1947. He also curbed opposition: newspapers were closed or taken over, and critics were harassed. A coup removed him in 1955, and the party was banned for years, though it stayed popular. Perón returned from exile in 1973 and was elected again, but died in 1974. His widow Isabel took over, and a military dictatorship seized power in 1976. After democracy returned in 1983, Peronist governments shifted between state-led and market-friendly policies.
Variants
Peronism has always been a coalition. In the 1970s the left wing, which included the Montoneros guerrillas, clashed violently with the right wing of the movement. Later, one Peronist president privatised many state firms in the 1990s, while others in the 2000s raised social spending and state control. Orthodox Peronists stress loyalty to the movement and the leader's legacy, while others stress reform. Outside Argentina the term sometimes describes similar populist leaders. Scholars differ on whether it should be classed as nationalist, populist, or a form of Latin American labour politics.
Criticisms
Critics say Peronism built a personality cult, used patronage to buy loyalty and weakened the press and the courts. Economists blame its policies for inflation, debt and low investment. The party's role in political violence during the 1970s is also criticised, as is the way Perón ruled in 1946-1955 against opponents. Liberals see it as unfriendly to free markets, and some on the left see it as a way to keep workers loyal to the state. Supporters say it gave a voice and rights to people who had been shut out and still stands for Argentine independence.
In practice
Peronists have won many presidential elections since democracy returned in 1983, and the movement is still central in Argentine life, through unions, local networks and welfare programmes. On the 12 axes it scores toward Public and Shared on Ownership and Welfare, and clearly toward Planned on Markets. It scores toward Protected on Trade and toward Strong leader on Authority, with a high score on National identity on Culture.