Midterm Losses See Pres. Fernandez Enter 'Lame Duck' Territory

President Alberto Fernandez's left-wing Peronist 'Frente de Todos' alliance is set to lose its majority in the Senate and remain in the minority in the Chamber of Deputies following yesterday's midterm election. Gains for the centre-right 'Juntos por el Cambio' alliance will make policy-enactment a more difficult prospect for Fernandez.

• The president is already struggling with internal divisions within his party. Influential populist VP Kristina Fernandez de Kirchner forced Pres. Fernandez into a Cabinet reshuffle before the election. The Frente's poor performance could see Fernandez de Kirchner seek a greater role in policy making.
• Rampant inflation and rising poverty rates, now combined a 'lame duck' status for the president following the election losses, means it will prove difficult for the administration to pass meaningful legislation in the final two years of Pres. Fernandez's term in office.