Former President Michelle Bachelet left open the possibility of running for La Moneda (Chile's presidential palace) a third time, and according to Emol, her words surprised part of the political world. It happened in an interview with Canal TVU, the University of Concepción's channel. She was asked whether "there is no second without a third" and, after a long pause, she replied: "I think so. I think so".
The remark drew attention because Bachelet had always sidestepped that option. Her argument was that leadership needed to be renewed. Also, when it came time to decide on her previous candidacies, she always took her time.
Other party leaders say they were not surprised. According to the outlet, she had already signaled that she wanted to stay active at the "redress" event the opposition organized for her in La Pintana. Those same sources believe her main goal is to defend her legacy, which in her view is at risk under the government of President José Antonio Kast. She would also be betting on uniting the opposition.
Kast addressed the issue from Valdivia. "Some are already thinking about the next election", he said, linking that political "anxiety" to the anxiety over the budget. He recalled his own case: "I used to say third time's the charm, and here I am". He called a possible candidacy legitimate and said it is good to have different leaders. However, he called for assessing whether the public policies of previous decades were the right ones.
On the left, former minister Carolina Tohá called for calm. On Radio Cooperativa she said she does not see it as an announcement and that it would be a mistake for the opposition to make it the central issue now. Her argument: the government has more than three years left and people are having a hard time. She called for focusing on jobs and security.
Reactions from others varied. The president of the Partido Socialista (PS, Socialist Party), Paulina Vodanovic, described Bachelet as a role model and said "God will decide". The mayor of Valdivia, Carla Amtmann, of the Frente Amplio (FA, a left-wing coalition party), said she admires Bachelet, though she said it will be the public that decides who leads. Senator Iván Flores, of the Democracia Cristiana (DC, Christian Democratic Party), attributed it to the opposition's lack of leaders and said he finds it "fantastic".
Others urged caution. Socialist deputy Marcos Ilabaca said it is premature to talk about candidacies when the government has been in office for seven months. Even so, he wants Bachelet to play a leading role in reorganizing the left. Senator Juan Luis Castro, also of the PS, criticized Kast's response, calling it "anxious and dangerous". He added that the left also needs new faces.
According to Emol, the Frente Amplio would be the party most harmed if Bachelet decides to run. Its possible contenders are former President Gabriel Boric and the mayor of Maipú, Tomás Vodanovic. Some believe, on the other hand, that Bachelet could help lay the groundwork for a new Boric bid. So far, Boric has not commented.
