Political change of direction in Chile: The German-born right-wing politician José Antonio Kast won the second round of the presidential election against the communist government candidate Jeannette Jara.
Dec 15, 2025, 06:04Dec 15, 2025, 06:04
This was announced by the electoral office of the South American country. “Chile wants change,” said Kast in his victory speech to thousands of supporters in the capital Santiago de Chile. “And I tell you, yes, Chile will experience real change.”
José Antonio Kast becomes the new president of Chile.Image: keystone
According to official results, the 59-year-old Republican Party candidate received around 58 percent of the vote in Sunday’s runoff election. Jara got almost 42 percent. She admitted defeat. “Democracy has spoken loud and clear,” she wrote on Platform X after congratulating Kast by telephone. It was the third time that Kast sought the highest state office.
Irregular migration and increasing crime were very important topics in the election campaign. “We will restore respect for the law,” said Kast. The hope of living without fear won.
Kast will take over the reins of government for four years on March 11, 2026, as the successor to the left-wing head of state Gabriel Boric. Boric congratulated the election winner. Around 15.8 million people were called to vote – voting is compulsory in Chile.
US government looks forward to cooperation
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his congratulations for the future president. “The United States looks forward to working with his administration to strengthen regional security and revitalize our trade relationships,” Rubio wrote on Platform X.
The ultra-liberal president of neighboring Argentina, Javier Milei, congratulated Kast on his victory. He spoke of a further step in favor of freedom and private property in Latin America. “I am extremely happy about my friend’s overwhelming victory,” Milei wrote on X.
Kast is the son of a NSDAP member from Bavaria
The father of nine and a devout Catholic, Kast comes from an influential family. Like him, several of his siblings were representatives or senators, and one brother served as president of the central bank during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. His father – a former Wehrmacht officer and NSDAP member from Bavaria – emigrated to Chile after World War II and founded a factory for meat and sausage products.
Tough action against crime and illegal migration planned
The election campaign focused on the issues of security and migration. Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in the region, crime has increased in some areas. According to a survey, 63 percent of adult Chileans are worried about the security situation – more than in Mexico and Colombia, for example, where there is significantly more crime.
In addition, the proportion of migrants in Chile has recently risen to around ten percent of the population – the majority come from the crisis country Venezuela. Violent crimes committed by Venezuelans and the presence of Venezuelan gangs are fueling fear among many Chileans.
Election winner puts crimes of the military dictatorship into perspective
The right-wing politician has announced tough action against crime and illegal migration. The lawyer wants to secure the borders more closely, make irregular entry a criminal offense and deport migrants without papers. He also announced that he would build new prisons. In order to stimulate the economy, Kast wants to reduce corporate taxes and significantly reduce public spending.
Kast also stands for conservative social policy. For example, he rejects marriage for same-sex couples and more rights for members of indigenous peoples. Kast also put the crimes of the military dictatorship into perspective and said during the 2021 election campaign:
“If Pinochet was still alive, he would vote for me.”
Ultimately, however, he moderated his tone and thus became acceptable to a broader audience.
Mixed record of the outgoing government
The incumbent left-wing President Boric was elected four years ago to address the stark social disparities and improve education and healthcare. The government was able to achieve some successes, such as implementing a pension reform and reducing weekly working hours to 40 hours. However, the government made no progress on other issues such as tax reform and improving the security situation. (sda/dpa)