ANALYSIS | The left returns to power in Uruguay in elections that confirm it as an exceptional democracy in Latin America

( Spanish) – The left will return to govern in Uruguay after the victory of the candidate Yamandú Orsi in the second round of the elections, which demonstrated, once again, that the country maintains a democratic solidity considered an exception in the region. According to analysts consulted by , it is a change but within the political system: it is the return of an already known option unlike other countries’ commitment to outsiders.

Orsi, from the center-left Frente Amplio and whom former president José Mujica presented in the campaign as his “political son,” surpassed the official candidate Álvaro Delgado by just over 95,000 votes, according to the results of the Electoral Court when 100% of the votes had been counted. the circuits on Sunday night.

However, the country did not have to wait for the results of the electoral authority for the ruling party to recognize its defeat: when the pollsters published their first scrutiny projections, which anticipated Orsi’s victory, Delgado gave a clear message of acceptance surrounded by their political partners. “One has to respect the sovereign decision above all things,” he said, adding that now his opponent had the keys to “search and find national agreements.”

Minutes later, Orsi came out on stage and promised to be the one who “calls for national dialogue” in a message in which he said that the country “of freedom, equality, also fraternity, which is nothing more and nothing” triumphed. less than solidarity and respect for others.”

Orsi wished “a long life to the political parties of Uruguay” and to the “democratic system” in a speech in which he also referred to those who did not support his candidacy: “Continue to embrace the flags of ideas because from the debate of ideas a better society is built, a better country and above all, a democratic republic with a future. “There is no future if we put a wall on ideas.”

For political scientist Adolfo Garcé, the message of unity that Orsi proposes is credible. “Orsi is from the school of Pepe Mujica, the Pepe Mujica who did try to unite, the Pepe Mujica who aged well: he divided when he was young, he united when he was old,” he said in statements to the local Channel 12, highlighting Orsi’s role as “ “disciple” of the former president, who was very active—and not without controversy—during the electoral campaign.

“The majority of the population showed some dissatisfaction with the government and sought a change within the known options,” political scientist Daniel Buquet told Español. Although it is not a comfortable majority: the count shows that Orsi obtained 1,196,603 votes and Delgado 1,101,185.

“In the sense of the solidity of the party system and the type of alternation that occurs in Uruguay, I believe that we are in an absolutely exceptional situation that is more similar to that of some European countries with more consolidated systems such as Germany, even Spain , where the main alternatives are the same as before,” he explained.

In short, “people are looking for change but they are not looking outside the system,” he said, unlike what has happened in other countries in the region where they have made their way. outsiders.

Along the same lines was the analysis of the sociologist and essayist Felipe Arocenawho said in dialogue with Español that “the message was that the Uruguayan decided for an alternation but not for an alternation of someone he does not know, but an alternation for a left-wing force that was the government for 15 years.”

“One may think that Uruguay is such a small country (…) and then it is very easy to maintain the democratic game but that is not the case, let’s not get confused, because there are countries as small as Uruguay that are totalitarian, that are dictatorships,” he reflected, remembering that Uruguay is one of less than 30 countries considered full democracies in the world, according to the index prepared by The Economist.

On March 1, 2025, Orsi will take over from President Luis Lacalle Pou, who brought the center-right to power after a decade and a half of leftist governments under Tabaré Vázquez (president in the periods 2005-2010 and 2015). -2020) and Mujica (president in the period 2010-2015). He will take office alongside Carolina Cosse, elected as vice president, and with a majority in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives.

The changes in Uruguay are gradual, said Buquet, so we should not expect a modification of the macroeconomic balances. “The Broad Front governments have been quite orthodox” on economic issues, he reflected, and analyzing Orsi’s team and the global situation it is likely that it will now be even more so according to his criteria.

“The accents are probably going to be on some social policies,” he said, giving as an example the possibility of greater investment in education and certain adjustments in social security matters such as a possible increase in the contributions made by employers.

Arocena, for his part, believes that the government will focus on trying to ensure that real wages do not fall and achieving a reduction in inequality. “The emphasis of the center-left is on the redistribution of wealth, I think that is the most important shift we can expect,” he summarized.

Orsi’s platform “resembles the mix of market-friendly policies and welfare programs that characterized the Frente Amplio’s mandate between 2005 and 2020,” says the analysis of the AP agency after knowing the results. “He largely agrees with his opponent on key voter concerns, such as the need for a reduction in the child poverty rate, currently at a staggering 25%, and containing the upsurge in organized crime that has shaken the nation.” , long considered one of the safest in Latin America.”

Pepe Mujica votes during the second round of elections in Uruguay

When analyzing the result in a regional key, Arocena highlights that it is necessary to assess how the Southern Cone—Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay—Latin America is “a region that has remained in the democratic game for many decades” despite the differences between the countries that make it up.

Buquet, for his part, foresees a “change in the orientation of foreign policy” although, as in the case of the economy, it is not radical. “(Brazil’s president) Lula will be happy because the Frente Amplio government is going to be a government that is more friendly to Lula and of course not close to (Javier) Milei, although it will still have perfectly cordial relations with Argentina as well” , he said, reflecting on the Mercosur bloc of which the three countries are part. In fact, Lacalle Pou is expected to present his successor to society during the next Mercosur summit in December, just as his predecessor, Tabaré Vázquez, did with him.

The Argentine Foreign Ministry published a sober message on Sunday congratulating “the Uruguayan people for their exemplary civic day” and “the elected president Yamandú Orsi for his victory.” “We ratify our commitment to work together with Uruguay to strengthen the shared agenda and the well-being of both countries,” he wrote in X.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for his part, was one of the first leaders to publish a message about Uruguay on social networks after the results were known. “I want to congratulate the Uruguayan people for holding democratic and peaceful elections and, especially, the elected president Yamandú Orsi, the Frente Amplio and my friend Pepe Mujica for today’s victory. “It is a victory for all of Latin America and the Caribbean.”