Jeanette Jara won the first round of Chile’s presidential elections.Image: keystone
November 17, 2025, 06:18November 17, 2025, 06:18
Government candidate Jeannette Jara narrowly won the first round of the presidential election in Chile, but will have to go to a runoff in mid-December. The communist got almost 27 percent, as the electoral office announced after counting almost all the votes. The German-born right-wing politician José Antonio Kast received a good 24 percent in the vote on Sunday (local time). The two strongest candidates will now meet in the runoff election on December 14th.
Incumbent President Gabriel Boric, who could not run again for constitutional reasons, congratulated the winners of the first round. “In a democracy, the candidates who want to represent citizens in municipalities and regions should be public officials with honesty, integrity and willingness to serve,” he told his potential successors.
Economist causes surprise
The economist Franco Parisi caused a surprise, coming in third place contrary to the latest surveys. He was followed by the ultra-right Johannes Kaiser and the conservative Evelyn Matthei.
Despite former Labor Minister Jara’s victory in the first round, the ultra-conservative Kast from the Republican Party is now the favorite in the runoff election. Unlike his rival, he has a real chance of mobilizing the votes of his defeated opponents from the right-wing camp. “Chile is more important than the parties,” said the father of nine and devout Catholic.
Has the best prospects for the presidency: José Antonio Kast.Image: keystone
His right-wing rival Kaiser admitted defeat and called on his supporters to support Kast. The conservative candidate Matthei also congratulated the winners of the first round of voting. “Our fatherland demands democratic responsibility, real solutions to our major problems and the ability to dialogue,” she said.
Security and migration at the center of the election campaign
The election campaign focused on the issues of security and migration. Although Chile remains one of the safest countries in the region, crime has recently increased in some areas. It is estimated that more than 330,000 foreigners live without valid documents in the South American country with a population of over 18 million – the vast majority come from the crisis-ridden state of Venezuela. (sda/dpa)