Gabriel Boric’ government and the sign of the times

Abstract

The article maintains that Gabriel Boric`s electoral win was due to the sheer moment in which the social trends and public opinion allowed to convince the society that a bunch of deep changes should be launched and carried out in a bid to replace the political and social system. The democratic energy of the process and its more reformist than revolutionary nature made it feasible for Boric to overcome the communist (Daniel Jadue) and a left-wing populist (Pamela Jiles) candidates in the first round and to defeat the far-right candidate in the second round. In spite of the success, the political environment is rife with contradictions. There is a heavy risk that conservative regression could take place because of the very radical dynamics the period incubates. The author comes round to thinking that Boric should chime his idealistic virtues with greater political realism in action in order to avoid gross blunders and gaffes (particularly, the falling into Jacobin temptation) and get down to building of a new, broader and stauncher coalition which could prop up his project of structural reforms.