A first lady and possible president.

last updated 8 January 2015

Argentina

Roberto Guareschi

Some say Argentina’s current first lady is another Eva Peron, said Argentine journalist Roberto Guareschi in Mexico City’s El Universal. Cristina Kirchner is certainly charismatic and attractive, frequently flashing a wide smile and plenty of leg. But to compare her to Evita is to give her both too much credit and too little. Evita created a cult of personality that galvanized the masses, but had no experience in actual governance. Cristina, by contrast, is “a competent politician in her own right.” She’s a former senator for Santa Cruz and now, after last week’s election, a senator for Buenos Aires. She doesn’t command adoration, but she does command respect. Call her, then, Argentina’s answer to Hillary Clinton. Like Hillary, she could run for president after husband Nestor’s term ends. And like Hillary, she plays an active role in the formulation of her husband’s policies. “The Kirchners knew from early on in their marriage that they wanted to reach the top, and the best way to do it, they concluded, was together. They are political partners.” Argentina has always been “a country of strong women.” For that reason, Cristina may even have a better chance at presidency than Hillary.