Populist neo-liberalism in Argentina: from Menem to Kirchner

EMILIA CASTORINA

Toronto

Simposio; Crisis and Neoliberalism; 2014

York University, Departamento de Ciencia Política

The aim of this paper is to analyze the crisis and contradictions of conservative neo-liberal populism (Menem) during the 1990s, and the subsequent re-composition of a more progressive neoliberal populism with Kirchner since 2003. While both differ in their economic policies and ideological political constructions, there seems to persist a similar way of understanding and excercising political power. Moreover, the progressive cycle that took place after the 2001 crisis seems to have added impetus to the populist logic of power.