DOCSLIB.ORG

Friday, May 17, 2019

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Friday, May 17, 2019 Friday, May 17, 2019 Tranquilo: Provincial status quo Photo by Casa Rosada The May 12 reelection of moderate Peronist Juan Schiaretti in Córdoba was predictable, but his margin of victory exceeded expectations. Córdoba, once fertile ground for Radicalism and Cambiemos, decisively voted for moderate Peronists at the provincial and municipal level. Córdoba’s capital city, for example, will be governed by a Peronist for the first time since the 1980s. The results are regarded as a warning sign for President Mauricio Macri, whose party’s electoral fortunes have dimmed with the economic crisis. But the election in Córdoba – Argentina’s second-largest province – also had little good news for Mr. Macri’s rival, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. To avoid an embarrassment, she pulled her candidate from the race. That said, so far there appears to be little connection between the provincial elections and the national presidential contest. Polls place Mr. Macri and Ms. Fernández de Kirchner neck- and-neck, even as neither Cambiemos nor the kirchneristas have proved competitive at the provincial level. This year, provincial elections have shown voters are largely satisfied with their local leaders. In Neuquén, Río Negro and Córdoba, the incumbent party retained the governorship, and increased its vote share. This trend is expected to continue; most provincial governments enjoy a large primary fiscal balance, giving governors resources to increase election year spending to goose the local economy. In Mendoza, the term-limited governor, Alfredo Cornejo, is likely to see his heir apparent, Radical Mayor Rodolfo Suárez, succeed him. And in San Juan, moderate Peronist Sergio Uñac is coasting to a second term. Though the results might not be energizing to Cambiemos leadership and Ms. Fernández de Kirchner, the reelection of moderates is helpful to Argentina. In Neuquén, for example, the failure of the kirchnerista candidate reassured investors that policies in Vaca Muerta would not radically change – and no doubt comforted the government that it would have a reliable partner on energy policy in a region with sizable oil and gas reserves. Mr. Schiaretti’s win in Córdoba was also a positive sign for governability, should Mr. Macri or a moderate Peronist win the presidency. Asked about the possibility of negotiating with Mr. Macri, Mr. Schiaretti said, “Si me llama el presidente, voy a ir, soy un hombre de diálogo.” He added: “Somos plurales, y los que creemos en los consensus.” The dynamics could still shift, however, should Buenos Aires Province – home to 40 percent of the country’s population – fall into kirchnerista hands. The governor, María Eugenia Vidal, is Argentina’s most popular politician, and has seen her name floated as a potential presidential candidate (a contingency option known as “Plan V”). But her reelection is not guaranteed. Under pressure from Mr. Macri’s team, she opted not to decouple her reelection from the October national contest, as Mr. Macri hopes to benefit from her coattails. As a result, she will bear the weight of Mr. Macri’s low approval ratings as she battles a likely tough competitor, perhaps former Finance Minister Axel Kicillof, a close adviser to Ms. Fernández de Kirchner. Either way, should Ms. Fernández de Kirchner return to the presidency, the federal government’s relations with the provinces would likely deteriorate. In her administration, her centralizing tendencies and penchant for using public funds to reward or punish provinces alienated governments. But if either Mr. Macri or a centrist, such as former Finance Minister Roberto Lavagna, ends up in the Casa Rosada, relations between the president and provincial leaders would start on a strong foundation. Seeking fall research assistants Know anyone interested in a research assistant position at the Argentina Project for the fall? They should apply now before skipping town for the summer! We’re also looking for a producer for the Argentina Project podcast. Tweet: Tweet For more Argentina insights, and to keep up with Argentina Project events, follow us on Twitter (@ArgentinaProj), where we also highlight our publications and activities – such as our forum for Argentine presidential candidates and kingmakers, including conversations with San Juan Province Governor Sergio Uñac and José Luis Espert – and announce new podcast episodes. For more election coverage, visit our Argentina Elige election Web site. Please donate here (select “Latin American Program” under “designation”). For additional benefits – including the Argentina Project Quarterly Briefing and invitations to special receptions – please contact us about corporate membership. To sponsor an event, the Weekly Asado or our ArgentinaPulse survey, please write to us at [email protected]. Invite a friend to your weekly asado, and tell a friend about ours. Subscribe to the Weekly Asado Listen to our podcast Donate to the Argentina Project and read past issues Wilson Center Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20004-3027 T 202-691-4000 wilsoncenter.org/argentina © Copyright 2018. Wilson Center. All rights reserved. {{Disclaimer}} If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please (Unsubscribing is not supported in previews)..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Political Risk Alert (30 Oct. 2019)
    Political Risk Alert (30 Oct. 2019) Argentina: Election outcome means early start on debt challenge Event: Alberto Fernandez achieved a comfortable first-round victory over incumbent President Mauricio Macri on October 27. Significance: Avoiding the need for a second round should help to speed up efforts to tackle the economic crisis and bring forward the start of debt renegotiations with creditors. Fernandez’s economic transition team is closer to him than to his vice-president-elect, former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK). However, the extent to which the populist-leaning CFK will dominate the new administration is a major concern for investors, as is the outlook for talks with the IMF. Meanwhile, the political alliance that backed Macri’s pro-business stance looks close to disintegrating. Analysis: Fernandez won a clear margin of 48% to 40%, although this was smaller than suggested by recent polling. However, the fact that Macri improved his performance by some 8 percentage points is due to the votes he won from smaller parties' candidates, increasing polarisation between his allies and those of Fernandez. Generally regarded as far more moderate than CFK, Fernandez will find himself limited in his policy choices by both economic constraints and demands of more radical Kirchnerist groups such as the youth movement La Campora. Given his own lack of an independent support base, those groups will not hesitate to emphasise that his election victory was due to Kirchnerist backing. This shift in post-election emphasis towards CFK has already begun. After first ceding the presidential candidacy and then maintaining a low profile during the campaign in a bid to downplay the controversies that surround her, CFK was very much centre stage on election night, and the Frente de Todos celebrations were dominated by images of CFK and her late husband, former President Nestor Kirchner.
    [Show full text]
  • Argentina Devalues Currency; Braces for Opposition Attacks Andrã©S Gaudãn
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository NotiSur Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) 2-14-2014 Argentina Devalues Currency; Braces for Opposition Attacks Andrés GaudÃn Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/notisur Recommended Citation GaudÃn, Andrés. "Argentina Devalues Currency; Braces for Opposition Attacks." (2014). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ notisur/14215 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NotiSur by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LADB Article Id: 79218 ISSN: 1060-4189 Argentina Devalues Currency; Braces for Opposition Attacks by Andrés Gaudín Category/Department: Argentina Published: 2014-02-14 Following Argentine legislative elections that narrowed the gap between the opposition and the ruling party, power groups and major media have pushed President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) to devalue the country’s currency. Though opposition parties gained ground, they did not win the election. The government had held that its efforts to maintain monetary stability was a major achievement allowing it to enrich foreign-exchange reserves and develop social policy. However, on Jan. 24, persistent market movement culminated with the end of monetary stability, one of the pillars of the Kirchner administrations that began in 2003 with the late President Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and continued under his wife who was elected following his death in 2007. The same day as the devaluation, economist Raúl Dellatorre said, "The government had to face a most difficult economic decision, one it had always rejected because of predictable regressive consequences.
    [Show full text]
  • Presentación De Powerpoint
    ANÁLISIS DEL ESCENARIO POLÍTICO Y PERSPECTIVAS Noviembre de 2019 UNA MIRADA A LOS RESULTADOS ELECTORALES QUÉ PUEDE ESPERAR EL SECTOR DE CADA UNO DE LOS CANDIDATOS RESULTADO 2019 RESULTADO 2019 Según triunfo por municipio Según triunfo por municipio RESULTADO TOTAL PAÍS* Fernández Kirchner Macri Pichetto Lavagna Urtubey Del Caño Del Pla P.A.S.O. GENERAL G. Centurión Hotton Espert Rosales Otros * Escrutinio Definitivo (Elección General) Fuente: Synopsis en base a Cámara Nac. Electoral QUÉ PUEDE ESPERAR EL SECTOR DE CADA UNO DE LOS CANDIDATOS 1.668.540 VOTOS LAS DOS PRINCIPALES FUERZAS SE REPARTIERON FRENTE DE TODOS JUNTOS POR EL CAMBIO PASO GENERAL JUNTOS POR EL CAMBIO SE LLEVÓ EL FRENTE DE TODOS JUNTOS POR EL CAMBIO CONSENSO FEDERAL FIT FRENTE NOS UNITE MOV. AL SOCIALISMO QUÉ PUEDE ESPERAR EL SECTOR DE CADA UNO DE LOS CANDIDATOS DIFERENCIA EN % DE VOTOS ENTRE PASO Y GENERAL PARA JXC DIFERENCIA DE VOTOS ENTRE PASO Y GENERAL PARA JXC EN % DE VOTOS POR PROVINCIA EN CANTIDAD DE VOTOS POR PROVINCIA Salta 75,6 Buenos Aires 561.617 Jujuy 53,4 Cordoba 370.992 Chaco 50,7 Santa Fe 252.148 Santa Cruz 47,0 Capital Federal 167.965 Tucumán 43,5 Mendoza 155.112 San Luis 40,7 Salta 111.064 Mendoza 37,6 Tucumán 103.955 Santa Fe 37,3 Chaco 85.873 Sgo. del Estero 37,0 Entre Rios 85.391 Cordoba 36,8 Jujuy 63.350 Neuquen 36,4 Misiones 61.415 San Juan 36,2 San Juan 42.211 Misiones 34,8 Corrientes 41.990 Chubut 31,8 San Luis 39.528 Catamarca 31,4 Neuquen 39.526 T.
    [Show full text]
  • PRIMARY ELECTIONS Special Report
    PRIMARY ELECTIONS Special Report WHAT IS AT STAKE? Provincial Elections President 24 130 National Representatives Provinces of Catamarca, Buenos Aires, and the City of Vicepresident National Senators Buenos Aires held primary elections to governor while Santa Cruz had general election. NATIONAL PROVISIONAL RESULTS OF THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS s 47.65% PARTICIPATION: 75,78% Alberto Fernández – Cristina Fernández de Kirchner 32.08% Mauricio Macri - Miguel Ángel Pichetto 8.22% Roberto Lavagna – Juan Manuel Urtubey 2.86% Nicolás del Caño – Romina del Pla 2.63% Juan J. Gómez Centurión – Cynthia Hotton 2.18% José Luis Espert – Luis Rosales ELECTORAL THRESHOLD 1.5% 0.71% Manuela Castañeira – Eduardo Mulhall 0.24% Alejandro Biondini – Enrique Venturino 0.14% Raul Albarracín – Sergio Pastore 0.13% José Antonio Romero Feris – Guillermo Sueldo POLITICAL SUPPORT KEYS #1 THE CENTER REGION VOTE #2 BUENOS AIRES SUPPORT #3 THE REST OF THE COUNTRY The National Government In the first section of the Other provinces, mainly driven expected to count with greater province of Buenos Aires, by the support of several support in Córdoba and Santa bastion of Cambiemos in 2015 Peronist governors, also added Fe, that along with Mendoza, and 2017, the officialism got an important part of votes that would provide a number of adverse results from expected summed up in the final result votes to face the tight scenario while in the other two -of an led Alberto Fernández to win in the province of Buenos Aires, average lower income-, the with several points ahead. but finally it turned the opposite Frente de Todos prevailed with way.
    [Show full text]
  • Through the Looking Glass
    Through The Looking Glass The Fernández de Kirchner government’s narco corruption and the diminished rule of law Douglas Farah, Senior Fellow, Financial Investigations and Transparency - International Assesment and Strategy Center (IASC) www.StrategyCenter.net October 2014 ABSTRACT A brief look at the mounting corruption scandals in the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and the diminishing rule of law in Argentina. 1 Table of Contents PREFACE INTRODUCTION DRUGS AND OTHER CORRUPTION CASES AT THE TOP THE GROWING FIGHT WITH THE UNITED STATES THE EPHEDRINE TRAIL PASSES CLOSE TO THE PRESIDENT CONCLUSIONS 2 Preface This paper is the fourth in a series of IASC studies and updates on the deteriorating situation in Argentina, part of a broader survey of corruption and transnational organized crime in Latin America. It includes extensive studies on Bolivia, Ecuador and the criminalized nature of the Bolivarian Alliance. The first Argentina study, “Back to the Future: Argentina Unravels,” discussed both the roots and populist ties of the government of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to Iran and the Bolivarian bloc of nations led by Venezuela. The second, “La Cámpora in Argentina: The Rise of a New Vanguard Generation and the Road to Ruin,” discussed the rise of the Camporista movement within the Fernández de Kirchner government and its vision of remaking Argentina’s society and economy in a populist authoritarian model. The third one, “One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Argentina Tangos Toward Collapse,” was a companion piece to the first two and provided an update on the headlong rush of the Fernández de Kirchner government toward economic collapse, posing a significant risk to the region and to the strategic interests of the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • [ ---·-·-····---··- 1
    CAMARA DE OIPUTADOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE SANTA FE _ ....• ---....•.•.. __.....--~---· , CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS MESA------·-·-····-------··- DE MOVH\11\ENTO 1 3 1 AGO 2020 [----- ·-,r-·---·--l Reclb\do •.•.•. g.: H~. az • I I. Ji . +'*"'"'•~· Exp. N° 3:l'.9..5..4?. C.0,- PROYECTO DE RESOLUCION La Camara de Diputados de la Provincia de Santa Fe RESUELVE: ARTICULO 1 °. Invitase, en los terminos del articulo 45 de la Constitucion Provincial y de acuerdo a lo establecido en el articulo 186 del Reglamento de la Camara de Dipu• tados de la Provincia de Santa Fe; al sefior Ministro de la Produccion de Santa Fe, Da• niel Costamagna, a la Camara de Diputados de la Provincia de Santa Fe, para que brinde un informe sobre los alcances del llamado acuerdo federal por la hidrovia y el Consejo Federal consultivo que se instalaria en la ciudad de Rosario, segun lo anunciado por el presidente de la Nacion, doctor Alberto Fernandez, el viemes 28 de agosto de 2020 en Puerto General San Martin, departamento San Lorenzo. ARTICULO 2°. Facultar al presidente de la Camara de Diputados de la Provincia de Santa Fe, ingeniero Miguel Lifschiz, para coordinar la mencionada reunion en el menor tiempo posible. ARTICULO 3°. De forma. Carlos del Frade Diputado Provincial. 2020-ANO DEL BICENTENAR/0 DEL PASO A LA ]NMORTALIDAD DEL GENERAL MANUEL BELGRANO General L6pez 3055 - (S3000DCO)- Santa Fe - Republica Argentina CAMARA DE DIPUTADOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE SANTA FE FUNDAMENTOS Senor Presidente: El viemes 28 de agosto de 2020, el presidente Alberto Fernandez firmo con siete gober• nadores el acuerdo federal por la hidrovia y anunci6 la creacion de un Consejo Federal consultivo que tendra sede en Rosario.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Report
    Americas Society and Council of the Americas — uniting opinion leaders to exchange ideas and create solutions to the challenges of the Americas today Americas Society Americas Society (AS) is the premier forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas. Its mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social, and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the Inter-American relationship.1 Council of the Americas Council of the Americas (COA) is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council’s membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation.2 1 Americas Society is a tax-exempt public charity described in 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 2 Council of the Americas is a tax-exempt business league under 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and as such, actively pursues lobbying activities to advance its purpose and the interests of its members. Americas Society Council of the Americas Annual Report 2014 Chairman’s Letter 2 President’s Letter 3 Americas Society
    [Show full text]
  • For Continued Coverage of Argentina's Presidential Election, Visit Our
    For continued coverage of Argentina’s presidential election, visit our special Web site, Argentina Elige, and tune into our podcast. Photo: Twitter/ Alberto Fernández Frente de Cambio Last Sunday, Argentina’s peaceful election occurred during one of the most tumultuous periods in modern Latin American history. Argentina’s normally quiet Andean neighbors, Chile and Bolivia, were racked by violent street protests. Meanwhile, Argentines, suffering their most severe economic crisis in decades, participated in peaceful campaign rallies and then 26.6 million Argentines – more than 80 percent of the electorate – voted without incident. President Mauricio Macri’s close second-place finish means that, for the first time since 1928, a non-Peronist president will finish his term and peacefully hand over power to a Peronist successor, in this case, Alberto Fernández. That is no small feat for a country famous for economic and political instability. But amid the justifiable enthusiasm over Argentina’s maturing democracy, the country’s near-term future is worrisome. Mr. Fernández’s performance in the election fell short of expectations, and raised questions about the capacity of his government to navigate one of the worst economic calamities to hit Argentina since 2001. There are also concerns about Argentina’s future foreign policy. Mr. Fernández wore his foreign policy on his sleeve on election night, praising Lula and Evo Morales, and raising fears of a major regional realignment that would isolate Argentina from its neighbors, the United States and Europe at a time when it is deeply dependent on international goodwill. The Results Mr. Macri lost his reelection bid, capturing 40 percent of the vote – only the third incumbent in Latin America to be voted out of office since the 1980s.
    [Show full text]
  • Tesis, Antítesis Y Opuestos Complementarios En La Prensa Gráfica Argentina
    e-l@tina. Revista electrónica de estudios latinoamericanos ISSN: 1666-9606 [email protected] Universidad de Buenos Aires Argentina Tesis, antítesis y opuestos complementarios en la prensa gráfica argentina. Las formaciones discursivas de La Nación y Página 12 frente a las políticas kirchneristas Ponza, Pablo Tesis, antítesis y opuestos complementarios en la prensa gráfica argentina. Las formaciones discursivas de La Nación y Página 12 frente a las políticas kirchneristas e-l@tina. Revista electrónica de estudios latinoamericanos, vol. 17, núm. 65, 2018 Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina Disponible en: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=496461433008 Esta obra está bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial 4.0 Internacional. PDF generado a partir de XML-JATS4R por Redalyc Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto Artículos Tesis, antítesis y opuestos complementarios en la prensa gráfica argentina. Las formaciones discursivas de La Nación y Página 12 frente a las políticas kirchneristas esis, antithesis and complementary opposites in the Argentine graphic press. e discursive formations of La Nación and Página 12 against Kirchner's policies Pablo Ponza [email protected] Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina e-l@tina. Revista electrónica de estudios Resumen: Tesis, antítesis y opuestos complementarios en la prensa gráfica argentina. Las latinoamericanos, vol. 17, núm. 65, 2018 formaciones discursivas de La Nación y Página 12 frente a las políticas kirchneristas El objetivo del texto es analizar comparativamente las formaciones discursivas elaboradas Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina por los diarios argentinos La Nación y Página 12 respecto del kirchnerismo en cuanto: Recepción: 15 Febrero 2018 A) políticas de Estado, B) las características de sus liderazgos y, C) las motivaciones para Aprobación: 16 Agosto 2018 movilizar sus entornos partidarios.
    [Show full text]
  • Maquetación 1
    Me rcado de In dustria s Cultu rales del S ur Guía de actividades Mar de l Plat a Hotel Provinc ial / Teat ro Audi torium Mayo. 15 al 18. 2014 ARGENTINA BOLIVIA BRASIL CHILE COLOMBIA ECUADOR PARAGUAY PERÚ URUGUAY VENEZUELA 03 Autoridades de la Argentina Ministerio de Industria Ministros de Cultura de la región Paraguay n Ministra Secretaria Nacional de Cultura ó Presidenta de la Nación Débora Giorgi Bolivia Mabel Causarano i Cristina Fernández de Kirchner Secretario de Industria Ministro de las Culturas c Vicepresidente de la Nación Javier Rando Pablo César Groux Canedo Perú a c Amado Boudou Ministra de Cultura i Secretario de Cultura de la Nación Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Brasil Diana Álvarez Calderón Gallo b Jorge Coscia Social Ministra de Cultura u Subsecretaria de Gestión Cultural Ministro Marta Suplicy Uruguay Marcela Cardillo Carlos Tomada Ministro de Educación y Cultura e d Subsecretario de Políticas Socioculturales Secretario de Empleo Chile Ricardo Ehrlich Franco Vitali Enrique Deibe Ministra de Cultura s Jefe de Gabinete Subsecretario de Políticas de Empleo y Claudia Barattini Venezuela o Fabián Blanco Formación Profesional Ministro del Poder Popular para la Cultura n Director Nacional de Patrimonio y Museos Matías Barroetaveña Colombia Fidel Barbarito a Alberto Petrina Ministra de Cultura l Director Nacional de Artes Ministerio de Turismo Mariana Garcés Córdoba P José Luis Castiñeira de Dios Ministro Directora Nacional de Política Cultural y Enrique Meyer Ecuador Cooperación Internacional Secretario de Turismo
    [Show full text]
  • República Argentina - Poder Ejecutivo Nacional 2021 - Año De Homenaje Al Premio Nobel De Medicina Dr
    República Argentina - Poder Ejecutivo Nacional 2021 - Año de Homenaje al Premio Nobel de Medicina Dr. César Milstein Informe Número: Referencia: ACTA N° 1-PRIMER REUNIÓN - CONSEJO FEDERAL HIDROVÍA ACTA REUNIÓN CONSEJO FEDERAL HIDROVÍA En la Ciudad De Rosario, Provincia de Santa Fe , a los 22 días del mes de Febrero del 2021 se da lugar a la primera reunión del Consejo Federal Hidrovía, encabezada por los Gobernadores de las Provincias de Buenos Aires, Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones y Santa Fe, con carácter de miembros permanentes y por el Ministerio de Transporte, el Ministerio del Interior, y el Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo en representación del Gobierno Nacional. En este marco, el Ministerio del Interior, el Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo y el Ministerio de Transporte suscribieron el Acuerdo Federal Hidrovía con las Provincias de Buenos Aires, Corrientes, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Misiones y Santa Fe en fecha 28 de agosto de 2020. Que por el Acuerdo Federal mencionado se encomendó al Ministerio de Transporte la creación del CONSEJO FEDERAL HIDROVÍA (CFH) como espacio asesor de coordinación política y estratégica, bajo la presidencia de ese Ministerio estableciéndose que la Subsecretaría de Puertos, Vías Navegables y Marina Mercante tendrá a su cargo la Secretaría Ejecutiva del Consejo, integrado con representantes de Ministerios nacionales y las jurisdicciones provinciales signatarias. El Consejo Federal Hidrovía tendrá como objetivo planificar el desarrollo del sector a mediano y largo plazo, promoviendo la elaboración de políticas públicas y acciones en forma integrada y federal con los planes del transporte. Están presentes en esta primer reunión, el Ministro de Transporte y Presidente del Consejo Federal Hidrovia Mario Andrés Meoni, el Gobernador de la Provincia de Santa Fe Cdor.
    [Show full text]
  • Fernández-Fernández Team
    Friday, May 24, 2019 Fernández2 Photo from Cristina Fernández de Kirchner In an unexpected move, former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced early Saturday her candidacy for Argentina’s vice presidency on a ticket with her former chief of staff, Alberto Fernández. The move shocked even seasoned political observers, and has left Argentina’s pundit-heavy media speculating over the wisdom of Ms. Fernández de Kirchner’s decision – and its consequences for Argentina’s October election. The announcement has opened a new grieta, dividing those who regard her strategy as a brilliant rebranding from others who see only a cosmetic change to the former president’s attempts to regain power. Below is our take on the upsides and downsides of Ms. Fernández de Kirchner’s strategy. Good idea Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is not known for subtly, but her surprise vice presidential candidacy was a graceful maneuver that could broaden her appeal – even if it alienates her most extreme followers. For some, Ms. Fernández de Kirchner’s decision is easily dismissed as a political sleight of hand: Though she’d technically serve as vice president, the powerful former president could puppeteer the chief executive, or even nudge her boss out of the Casa Rosada. (A popular meme in Argentina features the hypothetical headline, “Renunció Alberto Fernández, le duele el dedo gordo del pie, asume Cristina Kirchner.”) But Alberto Fernández – who served as cabinet chief for Néstor Kirchner, and for the first year and a half of Ms. Fernández de Kirchner’s first term – is hardly an empty suit. Indeed, though a novice candidate, he has served in senior government positions for decades.
    [Show full text]