President of Argentina facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids President of the Argentine Nation
Presidential standard
Seal of the President
Incumbent Javier Milei since 10 December 2023
Executive branch of the Government of Argentina
Style	The Most Excellent
Residence	Quinta presidencial de Olivos (official residence) Chapadmalal Residence (summer house) Casa Rosada (government office)
Appointer	Direct popular vote or succession from the vice presidency
Term length	Four years renewable once, consecutively
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Argentina
Formation	8 February 1826; 199 years ago (1826-02-08)
First holder	Bernardino Rivadavia
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	ARS 2,156,418.21 (US$8,262) monthly (as of June 2023)

The President of Argentina is a very important leader. They are both the head of state and the head of government for the country. This means they represent Argentina to the world and also lead the daily operations of the government. The president is also the commander-in-chief of Argentina's armed forces.

The current president is Javier Milei. He started his term on December 10, 2023. The rules for the president's job, like what they can do and how they are chosen, are written in the Argentine Constitution.

History of the Presidency
What the President Does
How to Become President
Presidential Perks
- Salary and Workplace
- Presidential Transport
Protecting Democracy
Who Takes Over if the President Can't Serve?
- The Vice President
- Next in Line
See also

History of the Presidency

Early Leaders

Argentina's story as a nation began in 1776. At that time, the King of Spain created a new area called the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The king was still the main ruler, but a local leader called a viceroy managed things in Argentina.

In 1810, the May Revolution happened. This led to Argentina's first local government, the Primera Junta. Later, other groups like the Junta Grande and Triumvirates took charge. Even though these groups had presidents, the King of Spain was still seen as the main leader.

Bernardino Rivadavia, Argentina's first president

First President

Eventually, a single person took charge of the government. This happened when the job of supreme director was created in 1813. In 1817, Argentina declared its independence. A new constitution was written, giving the supreme director presidential powers.

In 1826, another constitution was made. This one officially created the title of "president." Bernardino Rivadavia was elected as the first person to hold this title. However, he resigned soon after, and the position was temporarily stopped.

Unifying the Nation

After this, Argentina went through a period of civil war. There was no single central government. Different leaders, like Juan Manuel de Rosas, governed parts of the country.

In 1853, a new constitution was created. This constitution set up a national federal government with a president. The first president under this new constitution was Justo José de Urquiza. However, the city of Buenos Aires separated for a while. When it rejoined, Bartolomé Mitre became the first president of the unified country.

Changes in Leadership

Throughout Argentina's history, there have been times when elected presidents were removed from office by military groups. This happened in 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966, and 1976. Sometimes, a military leader took the title of president. Other times, a group of military chiefs shared power.

Today, the Argentine government does not consider some of these military leaders to be true, legal presidents. This shows how important it is for leaders to be chosen by the people through fair elections.

What the President Does

The President of Argentina has many important jobs and powers given by the Constitution (Article 99):

The president is the top leader of the nation and the government. They are in charge of how the country is run.
They create rules and instructions to make sure laws are followed.
They help make laws, officially announce them, and make sure they are published.
The president chooses judges for the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Senate must approve these choices.
They can grant pardons or reduce sentences for certain crimes.
They approve pensions and other benefits according to the country's laws.
The president appoints and removes important officials like ambassadors and government ministers.
They are the supreme commander of all the nation's armed forces.
Every year, the president speaks to the Congress. They report on the state of the nation and suggest new laws.
They make sure the government's money is collected and spent correctly.
By tradition, the president is the godfather of the seventh son or seventh daughter in a family. This tradition became law in 1974.

How to Become President

Requirements to Run

To become president or vice president of Argentina, a person must meet certain requirements:

They must have been born in Argentina. If not, their parent must have been an Argentine citizen.
They must be at least thirty years old.
They must have been an Argentine citizen for at least six years.
They need to have a certain level of income.
They must be from the province they represent, or have lived there for two years.

How Elections Work

Argentina uses a special election system called a two-round system. Here's how it works:

To win in the first round, a candidate needs to get more than 45% of the valid votes.
Or, they can win if they get at least 40% of the valid votes AND are more than 10 percentage points ahead of the candidate with the second-highest votes.
If no one wins in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes go to a second round. This second round happens two weeks later. The candidate who gets the most votes in the second round wins the presidency.

How Long a President Serves

A president serves for four years. They can be re-elected immediately for one more term. After serving two terms in a row, a president must wait one term before they can run for president again. There is no limit to how many times a person can run for president if they don't win. The same rules apply to the Vice President.

Before 1994, presidents served for six years and could not be re-elected right away. The rules have changed over time to what they are today.

Presidential Perks

Salary and Workplace

The president and vice president receive a salary from the national treasury. This salary cannot be changed while they are in office. They also cannot hold any other job or receive other payments from the government.

The Casa Rosada (which means "Pink House") in Buenos Aires is the president's official office. The Quinta de Olivos is their official home. The president can use the staff and facilities at both places. There is also a summer home called the Presidential Unit Chapadmalal. A special group called the Presidential Guard protects the president and their family.

Presidential Transport

The president uses special aircraft for travel. These are part of the Presidential Air Group.

The main plane is a Boeing 757 called ARG-01. It replaced an older plane in 2023.
The fleet also includes two Fokker F28 planes and a Learjet 60.
For shorter trips, the president uses helicopters like the Sikorsky S-70 and two Sikorsky S-76 models.

Presidential amenities
The Casa Rosada, the president's office
The president's office inside the Casa Rosada
The presidential armchair
A presidential car, the Audi A8
ARG-01, the presidential plane

Protecting Democracy

Sometimes in Argentina's past, military groups took control of the government by force. These were called de facto governments. However, the 1994 constitutional reform added Article 36 to the Constitution. This article makes it clear that:

Any actions taken by a government that came to power by force are completely invalid.
People who try to take power by force will be punished as traitors.
These crimes cannot be forgotten over time, and the people who commit them cannot be pardoned.
Every citizen has the right to resist these acts of force.

This article helps protect Argentina's democratic system and ensures that leaders are chosen by the people.

Who Takes Over if the President Can't Serve?

The Vice President

The Vice President is chosen along with the president. Their main job is to take over if the president cannot finish their term. This could happen if the president dies, resigns, or is removed from office. The vice president also steps in if the president is temporarily away or sick.

Next in Line

If both the president and vice president are unable to serve, there is a clear line of succession:

First, the provisional president of the Senate takes over.
If they are also unavailable, the president of the Chamber of Deputies steps in.
If both of them are unavailable, the president of the Supreme Court takes charge.

If both the president and vice president are permanently gone, the National Congress must choose a new president. They pick someone from the current senators, deputies, or governors within two days.