The two majority partners of Together for Change will speak today about the challenge posed to them by the harsh defeat of Patricia Bullrich: what to do for the runoff between Sergio Massa y Javier Miley. The PRO and the UCR will soak their beards in separate party meetings scheduled just hours apart: the yellow party meets at 11 at its headquarters in San Telmo; Radicalism has an appointment at its emblematic national committee on Alsina Street, at 2:00 p.m.
They will be meetings of high political tension, with a lot of internal crossing, and that could even deepen the wedge that opened between the two forces as of Sunday. The worst climate is seen in Macri’s administration, which bears the cost of leading the electoral defeat. The flirting of Mauricio MacrAnd with the libertarian it also damaged internal confidence and that wound would come to the surface. There is no unified position between the convenience of calling for freedom of action or sticking to his anti-Kirchnerist identity, which will implicitly be read as support for Milei.
In radicalism there is ambiguity between calling for a blank vote or freeing their coreligionists so that each one can decide what to do at the polls, beyond the fact that an internal line has already publicly expressed its intention to vote for Massa. In the UCR there is a strong rejection of the libertarian for his denigrating treatment of the figure of Raul Alfonsin.
The day of celebration will culminate with a family photo of the governors that the opposition will hold since December 10. More than a postcard of unity, it will be a photo of an internal message: assert its institutional weight in the future of the coalition and, in some way, mark the path of post-changeism, even if there is no new leadership in sight.
Macri in the center of the PRO scene
The yellow conclave on the fifth floor of its building at Balcarce 412 will have as a formality the resumption of Bullrich as head of the party. In fact, he already returned to office this Monday, when he finished the leave he had requested for his electoral campaign. His term expires at the end of the year. But it will be the backdrop for the real excuse for the meeting: to carry out catharsis and establish a position for the runoff. The discussion is tense due to the failure at the polls. “That conversation can greatly damage the climate,” anticipated a PRO operator before elDiarioAR.
The center of the scene will be taken by Macri, who already gathered his fans on Monday in his offices in Olivos. He transmitted a message that the unity of JxC prevails towards the runoff. However, There are doubts that it gives freedom of action, a position that would reflect more of a desire not to break the coalition now, rather than one’s own conviction. In addition, it would kick forward the serious internal crisis that was not resolved with the Bullrich-Horacio Rodríguez Larreta STEP, and that was deepened by Macri’s closeness to the libertarian.
In addition to the former president and the former candidates, the entire PRO leadership will attend the event: Jorge Macri –brand new elected head of Government–, Rogelio Frigerio –which he won in Entre Ríos–, Maria Eugenia Vidal, Cristian Ritondo –head of the block of Deputies–, Humberto Schiavonni –head of the Senate block–, Federico Angelini y Fernando deAndreisamong other leadership swords.
Near Larreta – which has already stated that its limit is Milei –, They believe that Macri’s move hides a hidden intention to support the libertarian. “The engineer is going to force an agreement with Milei from below,” said those around the outgoing Buenos Aires mayor. “The PRO was not born for freedom of action, but to make political decisions and definitions,” warned Angelini, a Mauricista of the first hour, yesterday on Radio con Vos. Anti-Kirchnerism could be the pledge of unity between Macrismo and the libertarian, but it would be a risky move if Milei does not finally win the presidency. Could he bear the cost of another electoral defeat?
Radicalism, freedom of action or blank vote?
“I don’t know if it’s useful, but the freedom of action is comfortable,” he explained to elDiarioAR a seasoned radical who understands that the UCR will emerge through the labyrinth upwards. The meeting was called by Gerardo Morales –head of the force– and in addition to the radical leadership, the other radical governors will also attend, who will take the lead in expressing freedom of action. Being traditionally institutionalist, the party would accept the will put forth by those who hold real power.
Thus the positions of Gustavo Valdes (Currents), Alfredo Cornejo (elected by Mendoza) and Leandro Zdero (Chaco). Santa Fe will not be there Maximiliano Pullaro –he is traveling in the United States–, but the Jujeño Carlos Sadir, Morales’ replacement. will also go Martin Lousteau, figure of the Evolution faction, which advocates freedom of action. And the legislative swords, like the deputy Mario Negri and the senator Luis Naidenoff.
A legislative source familiar with the preliminary talks assured that The main line will be to “sustain opposition to any of the two alternatives” that go to the second round.. Another radical operator agreed that the proposal could be between indefinition and calling for a blank vote – which in the vote count favors the winning list. He would thus prioritize the idea of asserting the opposition’s own volume, beyond everything, from December 10: “You will have ten governors, 500 mayors and parliamentary blocs to exercise an opposition that helps those who have to govern”said a voice that knows the cloth.
This strategy collides head-on with the pattern set by historical parties, such as that of the Storani, Federico and María Luisa, who explicitly asked to vote for Massa. “Of course we are not libertarians, but we are gorillas and Massa aesthetically represents that contempt for the institutionality of Peronism,” a counterpart theorized about the radical internal, and put the impact of the UCR in numbers: “We will be 7 percent of the electoral roll . Half of radicalism is not going to go or will choose to vote blank or challenge. The other half is going to lean mainly towards Massa. In the magma we are going to end up being irrelevant,” he stated.
The last word on the day will be the opposition governors, who will end up converging at the end of the afternoon at the House of the Province of Corrientes, in downtown Buenos Aires. All the leaders of JxC are mentioned: from the radicals to Jorge Macri, more Ignacio Torres (Chubut), Claudio Poggi (Saint Louis), Marcelo Orrego (Saint John) and Rogelio Frigerio (Between rivers). “We value them as the future of the opposition,” explained a source. The bet there will be to mark that JxC has the means to be reborn from the ashes. For that – some propose – it will be necessary to rename the coalition.
MC/JJD
The post first appeared on www.eldiarioar.com