Rafael Grossi suffered a setback in the first vote for UN Secretary-General, but the government trusts his chances

Rafael Grossi, Argentina's candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General, has experienced an initial setback in the preliminary voting process. While backed by the Casa Rosada since November, Grossi finished third in the first preliminary vote, trailing behind Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana. Analysts and Argentine diplomats suggest that Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett are currently better positioned for subsequent votes. The election for the successor to Antonio Guterres is set for January 1. The Argentine government, however, maintains confidence in Grossi's prospects. They note that Grossi secured seven positive votes, two fewer than needed for final approval, with two negative votes and six abstentions among the 15 rotating members of the Security Council. The five permanent members, who will ultimately decide the next secretary-general, have yet to reveal their positions. Grossi's performance was still considered stronger than that of Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, who received six positive votes and five negative ones. Grossi, currently the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is reportedly relying on his ongoing work and interactions with world leaders as a key asset in his campaign.

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It is a preliminary vote. Everyone is studying each other to see what the other does.