The Chilean right at the crossroads: counterhegemony of subnational and solidary leaderships

This paper shows that the “new” versus “old” dichotomy cannot explain the continuities and breaks between old and new right-wing political formations in Chile. The current Chilean centre-right is more complex, and its recent ideological adaptations reveal greater diversification of its internal sensibilities. A representative survey of the ruling strata of the current Chile Vamos governmental coalition reflects this. The sector’s dominant sensibilities are being challenged by those who favour greater state intervention. Some of the key players in this battle are subnational authorities, which brings the territorial dispute inside the governing coalition. The novelties of this centre right is thus double-edged: from the renewal of certain value positions to a pro-state sensibility being revitalised by subnational leaders.