President Alberto Fernandez does not have an official agenda until Monday, but during the remaining days of Holy Week it will be dedicated to analyzing eventual cabinet changesespecially the situation of the Minister of Economy, Martin Guzmanone of the main attack points of Kirchnerism, and how to overcome the deep internal crisis that the Front of All is going through.
It was a tough week for the Government, with the inflation rate of 6.7 percent for the month of March and the speech by Vice President Cristina Kirchner at the Kirchner Cultural Center (CCK) which, although she did not speak about the economy, left considerations about the real power in Argentina that seemed to encourage the official internment even more.
Towards what is coming, the head of state has the challenge of finding a way to find a point of balance. If the link with Kirchnerism is not recomposed, he will have to find a way so that this tension does not affect him on a day-to-day basis.
A year and a half to go presidential election, a time that he must make the most of to channel the economy, restore internal communication channels and try to arrive with enough air to have a chance of fighting in the primaries. If you look at it from this April, the possibility of rebuilding the relationship with Cristina Kirchner seems distant. It will continue to be so if each one remains firm in her position and does not give in one iota.
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Alberto Fernández evaluates if there will be possible changes in the Cabinet
However, it is Alberto Fernández who bears the main responsibility for taking action, either to get closer or to break definitively. It is the President who has the pen and who makes the final decisions. This was expressed repeatedly by both sectors and that is why it has the central task of defining where the Government and the Frente de Todos are going.
From Olivos, Fernández outlines the path for the coming weeks
That scenario is in his head and he will be thinking about the near future this weekend from the tranquility of Quinta de Olivos, while the President adjusts to the new life after the birth of her baby Francisco.
Due to the arrival of his second son, the first of Fabiola Yañez, the President was at the Otamendi sanatorium from Monday morning until Thursday at noon, when the three went out together and posed to present the little one to the world.
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The President is installed in the Quinta de Olivos adjusting to his new life after the birth of Francisco
Now, already installed in the presidential residence, he will begin to outline the path of the coming weeks, while maintaining confidence in the Minister of Economy, Martin Guzmanthe main target of criticism from the sector closest to Cristina Kirchner.
The changes in the Cabinet as demanded by the Kirchnerism They could occur, but not in the portfolios pointed out by those closest to the former president. One of the actors who began to sound strong in recent days to occupy a role in the presidential team is former Defense Minister Agustín Rossi.
The former official was gaining space within the small table of albertism, positioning himself as one of the people who make up the select group of leaders whom the President consults daily.
The Government: how does Guzmán stop?
The subject is central to dispute between Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Kirchner. Guzmán is the main target of Kirchnerism because the underlying claim is a shift in economic policy against the loss of purchasing power of wages. In this framework, they issue warnings about the social climate and the effects that the agreement with the IMF could have, particularly after the rate increase energy that seek to meet the goals agreed with the body.
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In addition to inflation, tariff policy is another disruptive element in Guzmán’s relationship with Kirchnerism
Regarding that point, the “hard” wing of the Frente de Todos puts chips in the public hearings that must be carried out by tariffs. They want Guzmán to expose before consumer associations that will participate and faces criticism of the percentage that it has planned, close to 80%: Kirchnerism wants a cap of 20%.
Although without naming him directly, the pressure from the sector aligned with Cristina Kirchner on the minister was felt in recent days. Deputy Maximo Kirchnerthe Buenos Aires governor, Axel Kicillofand the Secretary of Commerce, Roberto Feletti, were the leading voices in the chorus of criticismalthough they are also beginning to join -with less noise- some Governors concerned about economic direction.
In it Ministry of Economy resist criticism and trust that there will be a inflation slowdown in April and May. The President, meanwhile, supports his minister because he believes that started a path of growth economic and that the variables will be accommodated and also because supporting Guzmán is part of the power struggle with his vice.
Support and warning: the reappearance of Rossi in support of Guzmán
In the last hours Guzmán added surprising support, although it was more like an internal message to calm the dispute that afflicts the ruling coalition. The peculiarity is that it came from one of the leaders who is also subject of rumors but not output, but input: Agustín Rossi.
“Has to follow being our Minister of Economyis an asset that the government has. I don’t know if there is another economist who could have carried out the negotiation with the IMF like Martín,” said Rossi, whose name sounded like a possible replacement for De Pedro in the Ministry of the Interior.
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Rossi raised his profile and went out to bank the Minister of Economy, while talking about his possible return to the Cabinet
Although in his defense of Guzmán he highlighted the decline in poverty and unemployment rateswhile making a call to defend more strongly the positive aspects of management, the Santa Fe also warned that the Minister of Economy has to go out and talk after March inflation is known.
“Are we going to wait idly for the inflation rate? The minister has to go out and give a horizon. You can’t be mute in politics either. On Wednesday we are going to know the index, we have known for a month that it will be complicated. Are we going to remain silent?” Rossi stressed in radio statements.
The former defense minister comes raising your profile and marking a position of defense of the management of Alberto Fernández and distanced from Cristina Kirchner. This encouraged the speculations about his possible landing in the Cabinet, although in his environment they indicated to iProfesional “had no offer” neither did he “speak to anyone” about it.
In turn, in the Ministry of Interior also They rejected the versions about a replacement in the area currently occupied by De Pedro. The presence of the referent of La Cámpora in the Cabinet is a marker for the unity of the government alliance despite the lack of communication between the President and his vice president.