Following the 2025 midterm election defeat, Peronism grapples with an internal crisis intensified by Cristina Kirchner's criticism of Axel Kicillof. The former president held the Buenos Aires governor accountable for the poor electoral showing, as Kicillof meets with mayors to regroup. Analysts note that the PJ won in traditional strongholds but lost where it needed to compete.
The October 31, 2025, midterm legislative elections left the Partido Justicialista (PJ), or Peronism, in a weakened position. Reports indicate the PJ "won where it always does and lost where it had to fight", reflecting accumulated weariness. There is no single responsible party within the PJ for the electoral blow, as "Argentines grew tired of the same old faces".
Cristina Kirchner, a key Peronist figure, sharply criticized Axel Kicillof after the defeat. In her assessment, she held the Buenos Aires governor accountable for the failure, stating that "Argentina is on probation". This "bill" from Kirchner enlarges the internal crisis of the movement, which failed to nationalize its campaign and relegated it to the background, committing errors that provincialized its political projects.
In response, Kicillof met with Peronist mayors in La Plata, but not at the Governorship. Prior to the formal meeting, there was an informal lunch. One key request from the municipal leaders was to "cut ties with the hard K core", referring to the sector close to Kirchner. This summit aims to reorganize forces amid tensions.
Peronist analysts, such as a leader from the Movimiento Evita, call for profound changes: a clear program to address social issues, inclusion of social movements and unions, and overcoming internal feuds. With two years until 2027, Peronism must advance in ideas and methods to reconnect with precarized voters, who represent nearly 40% of informal workers.