Peru’s congressional elections on 26 January produced a clear loser: the right-wing Fuerza Popular (FP, Fujimoristas) was eviscerated. Identifying the main winner is less straightforward. Only one party won more than 10% of the valid vote, while some fringe parties with dubious democratic credentials shot to prominence. President Martín Vizcarra, on paper, is in a much stronger position. But there are only 15 months until fresh presidential and congressional elections, leaving him little time to advance his political and judicial reform agenda. He will need to forge alliances in the most fragmented congress in 20 years, albeit most parties are promising cooperation rather than confrontation. And, with FP defanged, the public will be demanding more of him. End of preview - This article contains approximately 1216 words.
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