Government of Argentina - Executive Branch

Executive Branch

The current composition of the Executive Branch includes only the Head of State and Head of Government President of Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, formally given the power over the Administration to follow through with the interests of the Nation. The President is also the Commander in Chief of the Argentine Armed Forces.

The President and the Vice President are elected through universal suffrage by the nation considered as a whole. The Constitutional reform of 1994 introduced a two-round system by which the winning President-Vice President ticket has to receive either more than 45% of the overall valid votes, or at least 40% of it and a 10% lead over the runner-up. In any other case, the two leading tickets get to face a second round whose victor will be decided by a simple majority. This mechanism was not necessary in the 1995 election, when it could have first come into use, nor in the 1999 one, nor in the last Presidential election, occurred in 2007. However, it was instrumental in the selection of Néstor Kirchner in 2003.

The Cabinet of Ministers is appointed by the President, but is not technically part of the Executive Power. The Vice-President, Amado Boudou, belongs to the Legislative Branch, since he is also the President of the Senate.

President Cristina Kirchner holds the office since December 10, 2007. As of December 10, 2011, her cabinet consists of the following Ministers:

  • Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers: Juan Manuel Abal Medina
  • Minister of the Interior: Florencio Randazzo
  • Minister of Foreign Relations (mostly known as the Chancellor): Héctor Timerman
  • Minister of Defense: Arturo Puricelli
  • Minister of Economy: Hernan Lorenzino
  • Minister of Justice and Human Rights: Julio Alak
  • Minister of Security: Nilda Garré
  • Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security: Carlos Tomada
  • Minister of Education: Alberto Sileoni
  • Minister of Science, Technology and Innovative Production: Lino Barañao
  • Minister of Health: Juan Luis Manzur
  • Minister of Social Development: Alicia Kirchner
  • Minister of Federal Planning and Public Utilities: Julio de Vido
  • Minister of Industry: Débora Giorgi
  • Minister of Agriculture: Norberto Yahuar
  • Minister of Tourism: Carlos Enrique Meyer

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