Interesting changes in the public perception of Chile’s top political leaders have been revealed in the latest issue of Datavoz’s Political Leadership Monitor (MLP).
The survey, corresponding to June 2024, which measures spontaneous mentions of both positive and negative leaderships, shows a drop in the evaluations of prominent opposition figures such as Evelyn Matthei and José Antonio Kast, while ruling party leaders such as Gabriel Boric, Camila Vallejo and Carolina Tohá have registered an increase in their net evaluation.
Furthermore, for the first time, Rodolfo Carter rises to second place, displacing José Antonio Kast.
Boric and Matthei: honesty
Evelyn Matthei, who has consistently led in positive mentions, suffered a notable 13 percentage point drop in the last month, dropping from 39% to 26%. This decline returns it to February levels, breaking a trend of sustained growth that it had had in the first half of the year.
On the other hand, Gabriel Boric remains the leader with the most negative mentions, but this month he has managed to reduce this adverse perception. Positive mentions towards his leadership increased, resulting in a significant improvement in his net evaluation (from -27.5 to -19.6).
“The improvement in Boric’s evaluation suggests that his leadership is beginning to resonate more positively with citizens, despite persistent criticism,” explains Paulina Valenzuela, founding partner and director of Datavoz.
Furthermore, it is interesting to note that for both Evelyn Matthei and Gabriel Boric, “honesty” stands out as the main attribute that supports their evaluations.
“This focus on honesty suggests that voters are looking for leaders they can trust, beyond their technical skills or political experience,” reflects the representative of the survey.
Ministers Camila Vallejo and Carolina Tohá have experienced increases in their net evaluations, reflecting a more favorable public perception of their performance.
Carter beats Kast
Rodolfo Carter, for his part, has seen an increase in both positive and negative mentions, keeping his net evaluation stable, but surpassing José Antonio Kast. This phenomenon coincides with his recent media appearance, which has captured the attention of citizens, especially after the municipal primaries, where his successor Daniel Reyes positioned himself to compete for the municipality of La Florida.
Paulina Valenzuela adds that “it is interesting to observe how the evaluations of leaders are changing, possibly reflecting an adaptation to the new expectations of citizens.”
“Honesty seems to be an increasingly crucial value in public perception, beyond ability or experience,” he commented.
And he added that “we will have to continue monitoring these perceptions to better understand the priorities of the electorate and how they influence the political landscape.”
Videla and Monsalve, emerging leaders
The population’s concern about security issues has allowed some political actors who were not in the main focus of attention to gain visibility. Such is the case of deputy Sebastián Videla, independent from Antofagasta, who thanks to his recent initiatives in this matter, managed to position himself during June.
In addition, Undersecretary Manuel Monsalve has reappeared in the top 10 of positive leaders, a place he had not occupied since last March. “Monsalve’s reappearance in the top 10 is an indicator that his management is being valued again by citizens, which is an encouraging fact for his political career,” adds the founding partner of Datavoz.
