Saddled by runaway inflation, Argentines elected president on Sunday a centrist, conservative, ultra-liberal candidate who stood a strong chance of winning on his proposals to dollarize the economy and eliminate the central bank.

With 74% of the population participating, lower than in other elections, voting ended at 18:00 local time.

Although the first test results are expected at 21:00, some media and candidate representatives believe a runoff scenario is highly likely after a very close election.

After years of economic crisis, the population’s boredom with traditional politicians has elevated libertarian Javier Miley, an “outsider” who won a big victory in the August primaries and is now running head-to-head with Peronist Sergio Massa, the current and former economy minister. Minister Patricia Bullrich.

The big unknown is who the two candidates will be to advance to the second round of the election: although polls have shown a slight lead in favor of Miley, followed by Massa and then Bullrich, analysts consider it almost a certainty that the election will be decided. in the November 19 newsletter.

“People have heard rational speeches from various leaders throughout their lives. So now they don’t pretend to listen to great ideas, very rational ideas. Now they want that to change. How? They have no idea, but they want it to change,” Federico Aurelio, president of consulting firm Aresco, told Reuters.

The incoming president will have to deal with an economy in critical condition: inflation has reached 138% per year, poverty has reached 40%, and the central bank coffers are empty. It will also have to deal with a $44 billion debt deal reached in 2018 with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In this desperate situation, the main support of the La Libertad Avanza party, founded by Miley, an eccentric economist who worked as a TV commentator, is young people.