Foreign Digest: Parliamentary Elections in Argentina, the Netherlands and New Zealand

Argentina: In Argentina’s presidential elections late last month, a populist libertarian economist and member of Congress easily defeated Economics Minister who was the leftist Peronist party’s nominee. The liberal spending polices of the ruling party, which have caused inflation 40% —more than 10 times what Americans are currently experiencing — were a major issue in the campaign. The center-right candidates who were defeated in the primary round of balloting supported the libertarian upstart. As a libertarian, the incoming Argentine President’s views overlap with, but differ from conservatism. He favors welfare spending cuts and adopting the United States dollar as the national currency, but also eliminating Argentina’s central bank, which would reduce the South American State’s sovereignty. The President-elect opposes abortion, but wants to commoditize people by legalizing the sale of organs. He will be restrained from implementing his most radical ideas by Argentina’s Congress that is led by the leftwing Peronists and perhaps by the conservative parties. The election thus moves Argentina further away from the disastrous Socialist model of Venezuela, but not necessarily toward a stable free market alternative based upon liberty, representative government, and morality, as leftist policies sometimes beget populist far-right governments, instead of reasonable, conservative ones. One positive aspect of Argentina’s elections is an expected shift in emphasis on trade relations from Communist China to the West and friendlier relations with the United States and other Western States. Argentina has at times had friendly relations with the U.S. over the years, as a non-North-Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally, especially when governed by conservatives. Netherlands: In the recent parliamentary elections in the Netherlands, the far-right anti-migrant and anti-European Union party won the most votes and seats in the Parliament, but short of the majority necessary to form a government that can win the required vote of confidence of the Dutch Parliament. The ruling center-right party, which came in a close third behind a centrist party, will not join the far-right in a coalition government, but only offer parliamentary support for conservative policies. A Christian Democratic Party came fourth. The far-right party, unlike most European nationalist parties, is not pro-Russian, but its anti-migrant emphasis goes beyond a legitimate concern about violent Islamists to Islamophobia and xenophobia, like most European nationalist parties, even though a large majority of Muslims do not support violent jihad (Islamic holy war) and are refugees from Islamist repression. The Netherlands is an ally of the United States as a member of the NATO. New Zealand: In the parliamentary elections in New Zealand last month, the conservative party won the most votes and seats after six years of liberal rule, but well short of a majority. It was able to form a coalition government last week with a libertarian party to obtain the required majority for a parliamentary vote of confidence. The new Prime Minister promises spending and tax cuts and a crackdown on crime. New Zealand is an ally of the United States.