Chile's Presidential Runoff Takes a Shocking Turn as Franco Parisi Emerges as Wildcard

Chile's Presidential Runoff Takes Unexpected Turn as Franco Parisi Emerges as Powerbroker Chile's presidential runoff election took an unexpected turn on Sunday, November 17, as Franco Parisi's surprise third-place finish has left the country's next government in a precarious position. Parisi, a volatile outsider, garnered nearly one in five votes, almost double what polls had predicted, while his party secured 14 of 155 seats in the divided Lower House of Congress. This development has set the stage for a potentially volatile coalition-building process ahead of the March 2026 inauguration. Parisi's unexpected strong showing has sent shockwaves through the Chilean political landscape. His Partido de la Gente, a party that was considered a dark horse in the election, will now wield considerable sway in the formation of the next government. The party's 14 seats in the Lower House of Congress will give Parisi a crucial bargaining chip in negotiations with the two major candidates, Jeannette Jara and José Antonio Kast, who advanced to the runoff. The surprise outcome has left both Jara and Kast scrambling to reach out to Parisi and his party in an effort to secure their support. Jara, a communist candidate, has already begun to court Parisi's support, while Kast, a conservative rival, has expressed concerns about the potential impact of Parisi's party on the country's economic policies. In the lead-up to the election, Parisi's campaign focused on issues such as economic inequality, education reform, and healthcare access. His party's platform also emphasized the need for greater transparency and accountability in government. While Parisi's policies have been criticized by some as too radical, his surprise showing has highlighted the growing frustration among Chileans with the country's traditional political elite. As the country prepares for the runoff election, Parisi's emergence as a powerbroker has added a new layer of complexity to the already contentious campaign. The outcome of the election will now depend not only on the popularity of Jara and Kast but also on Parisi's ability to negotiate with both candidates and secure a favorable deal for his party.