Peronism has moved a central part of its national and Buenos Aires decisions to May 2027. Axel Kicillof and Máximo Kirchner, representing different internal blocs, both identified that month as the point for organizing the presidential strategy and candidacies in Buenos Aires Province. Until then, each sector will continue touring districts, building local structures and commissioning its own measurements, while no final mechanism has yet been agreed to settle their differences.
The shared timetable does not amount to a closed political agreement. Kicillof intends to sit down in May to discuss the movement's presidential candidacy, while the Kirchner wing has asked its leaders to establish themselves in their districts and await the national decision. At the same time, the governor must organize the contest to succeed him, a discussion shaped by the ambitions of mayors, ministers, lawmakers and representatives of the different currents of the Justicialist movement.
Within the Movimiento Derecho al Futuro, Jorge Ferraresi, Fernando Espinoza, Julio Alak and Gabriel Katopodis agreed to tour the province and compare opinion studies before candidate lists close. The aim is to favor the person with the strongest electoral conditions and capacity for broader projection. The understanding works as an internal rule for Kicillof's sector, but it does not bind the other Peronist groups or rule out a wider contest.
The Buenos Aires field also includes Federico Otermín, Federico Achával, Leonardo Nardini, Mariel Fernández, Eduardo de Pedro and other names circulating in discussions. Sergio Massa continues to prioritize a presidential bid, although he also appears in provincial polling. Kicillof's allies are demanding primaries and argue that their municipal presence would allow them to compete strongly, an assessment disputed by other sectors.
The main external variable is the national government's decision on the PASO primaries. The executive wants to eliminate or suspend them before debate begins on the 2027 Budget, and Diego Santilli is holding talks with governors to assemble votes in Congress. Several provincial leaders are tying their support to political arrangements in their own districts and expect further meetings during Argentina Week in Paris, although no formal legislative majority has yet been secured.
The national decision would have an immediate effect in Buenos Aires. Provincial Law 14,086 links the Buenos Aires primaries to the national call: if the national executive does not convene presidential primaries, the provincial vote could be left without a date, as happened in 2025. Electoral specialists involved in the discussion say the governor may retain tools to restore them by decree, an option that would open another legal and political debate.
If the primaries are suspended, Justicialist Party leaders are examining a party-run internal vote to choose the presidential ticket. The option recalls mechanisms used before the primary-election law, but it faces objections involving voter rolls, oversight and possible litigation. In addition, the national PJ charter states that its presidential candidate must be selected through the PASO system established by Law 26,571, so any replacement would require an organizational decision and a design accepted by the internal currents.
The negotiation covers more than candidate names. Mayoral reelection rules, the single paper ballot, a possible split election date, appointments to the Buenos Aires Supreme Court and procedures for reviewing Electoral Board decisions are all part of the package. The next stages will be the national PASO debate, year-end legislative talks and dialogue among Kicillof, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Massa and Máximo Kirchner before the decision expected in May.
