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Articles

Vol. 43 No. 2 (2023)

Uruguay 2022: Between the Referendum, Strategic Reforms and Political Scandals

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-090x2023005000108
Submitted
June 30, 2023
Published
2023-09-12 — Updated on 2024-04-23
Versions

Abstract

This article examines the third year of the center-right coalition government, led by President Lacalle Pou in Uruguay. After two years where the pandemic and a referendum against the Urgent Consideration Law (LUC) dominated the agenda, this year saw a return to political normalcy. The government aimed to accelerate the adoption of strategic reforms in education and social security. Although the government coalition remained relatively solid and managed to approve the primary bills sent to Parliament, it experienced some difficulties agreeing on other crucial issues. However, in the second half of the year, the government appeared to lose control of the public agenda due to the emergence of political scandals. Also President Lacalle Pou’s approval ratings began to decline, marking the end of the extended honeymoon period, although in comparative terms his popularity remains high.