This article describes Chile’s 2009 presidential and congressional elections, in which the Concertación, a center-left political coalition in office since 1990, lost power. We discuss how billionaire Sebastián Piñera became the first president elected from the right since 1958. Within Latin America and beyond, its healthy economy and political stability has made Chile a “model” developing country. However, two noteworthy challenges remain: high and enduring social inequality as well as increasing political discontent and citizen apathy. We draw possible implications from the turn to the right for addressing both challenges.
About the Authors
Juan Pablo Luna
Juan Pablo Luna is professor of political science at the Instituto de Ciencia Política of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is the author of Segmented Representation: Political Party Strategies in Unequal Democracies (2014).
Rodrigo Mardones is assistant professor of political science at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and editor of the Journal of Democracy en Español.
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