Argentine Ex-President Macri Sparks Controversy on Return to Argentina

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Argentina’s former head of state Mauricio Macri caused quite a stir after his return from Europe, and with a public letter he also stirred up spirits within his own ranks.

In the letter published in the conservative daily “La Nación”, Macri accused the government of President Alberto Fernández of wanting to govern “with no limits” by disregarding parliamentary regulations, violating the balance of power, and placing pressure on the judiciary with his planned reform.

He also claimed that the measures against the pandemic would serve as “social control” and to suppress protests against the government’s measures.

Macri‘s letter was not only criticized by members of the government, but was also met with displeasure by the opposition.

A split is becoming increasingly apparent between the former president’s supporters and the party president and former Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich, both of whom maintain a harsh, almost destabilizing stance, and the more moderate members of the opposition who rally around the current mayor of Buenos Aires, Horacio Larreta. In particular, the provincial governors, who must cooperate with the central government, for the most part, do not share Macri’s confrontational stance.

Macri’s inner circle is also under strong judicial pressure in connection with investigations into espionage and several economic issues. Former supporters are noticeably turning away, either because they too have been spied on, such as the former leader of the PRO parliamentary group, Emilio Monzó, or because they fear that they will be politically dragged down by the unfolding Macri scandals.

The ex-president (2015 to 2019) also aroused resentment with his deliberate disregard for the coronavirus protection measures.

Although he entered the country directly from France and thus, from a “risk area”, he failed to comply with the mandatory quarantine and organized a meeting with three of his party’s mayors. From France, he had protested against the measures and supported the demonstrations against the pandemic rules that occurred in Buenos Aires.

Most recently, party leader Bullrich allegedly became infected during one such demonstration, as did right-wing intellectual Juan Jose Sebrelli, who had several times called for the rules to be disregarded.