(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The level of dissatisfaction with Argentinean president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has spiked recently, according to a poll by Management & Fit. 71.8 per cent of respondents disapprove of Mrs. Kirchner’s performance, up ten points since April.

In October 2007, Fernández de Kirchner won the presidential election with 44.9 per cent of the vote as the candidate for the Front for Victory (FV). In December, Mrs. Kirchner succeeded her husband, Néstor Kirchner, as Argentina’s head of state. The outgoing president was praised for fostering an economic recovery after a major crisis in 2002. Fernández de Kirchner has vowed to address poverty and carry on with her husband’s fiscal policies.

In March, the Kirchner government introduced a variable tax on soybean exports, prompting an angry reaction by the country’s farmers. The levy replaced a fixed-rate tax and increased the price of soybeans. Farmers staged protests and organized roadblocks for several weeks. Grain shipments stopped completely, creating food shortages across the country. Despite a brief period of calm, the protests and organized roadblocks continued.

On Jul. 17, a Senate vote on the variable tax on grains finished in a tie. Argentinean vice-president Julio Cobos cast the tie-breaking vote, effectively killing the government bill. Cobos defended his choice, saying, "I am not betraying the president, but I am voting with my heart and I can’t vote in favour. History will judge me."

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s performance as president?

Source: Management & Fit
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 2,400 Argentine adults, conducted in July 2008. No margin of error was provided.

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