Sergio Massa’s plan is not to reveal his future Cabinet in advance of voting day. The economy minister threw out only one name in the campaign – Roberto Lavagna – prior to the general elections and there are now doubts about the chance of him becoming an official.
“He’ll have a lot to do with things,” said Massa mysteriously as he responded to questioning about the ex-minister’s participation in his possible government.
Lavagna has always been close to the man from Tigre and been ready to help. But at the age of 81 he is not up to any hot seat. Massa is very satisfied with the work of his small roundtable – Guillermo Michel, Lisandro Cleri and Leonardo Madcur – for whom he also has important roles in mind -
There are likely to be few survivors from the current Cabinet. One might be Public Works Minister Gabriel Katopodis, whose micro-militancy has pleased the campaign committee. The official has been filmed trying to convince voters face-to-face on buses, at assemblies and on the streets. An all-rounder.
Some outgoing governors could also fit in. Such is the case of San Juan Province’s Sergio Uñac, to whom Massa last September entrusted his relationship with business leaders as the coordinator of a “working panel” seeking consensus with firms and business chambers nationwide.
The votes of Córdoba leader Juan Schiaretti are also one of the obsessions at the Unión por la Patria bunker. The departing provincial governor has not defined his position for November 19 and, at least for now, is remaining neutral. Yet his vote rally is invaluable for the run-off and Massa will do whatever is necessary to unite them and bring them into his ranks if possible.
Radical proposals
The potential summons creating the biggest stir, above all in the opposition, would be Unión Cívica Radical party chairman Gerardo Morales – he and Massa are friends and political allies in Jujuy Province.
“Let nobody be shocked by other forces joining our government. I have no fear of sharing with those who think differently,” Massa had said a month ago in a rally with northern governors. Behind him stood Morales, watching on.
Unlike the sector of PRO which rapidly decided to support Javier Milei, the Radicals are staying neutral, although at least one wing of the party is closer to Massa than to Milei. The most sensitive problem for the economy minister is the role of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who he handily said on Wednesday night would not be a part of his government.
“For Sergio and for me she is a most important figure, a permanent leadership,” responded Massa’s running-mate, Cabinet Chief Augustín Rossi, adding: “She will do what she believes necessary.”
Massa was less diplomatic: “She has chosen to take a more distant role in her political life, looking at public life from afar,” he judged in an interview with Telenoche.
The ticket imagines her as a heavyweight “consultant” although they understand that giving her too much power could be a problem for their administration. They will have to make a balancing-act.
The worst off will be President Alberto Fernández. He is so little appreciated that nobody doubts his insignificance when delegating him attributes: “He will be an ex-president like [Mauricio] Macri, Cristina or [Eduardo] Duhalde,” says Massa.
The president knows that too. That is why he was so annoyed when a journalist asked him about his political future after he had voted on October 22. He threw out a couple of loose ideas, scolded the female reporter and took off.
Objective
In the midst of the government crisis of mid-2022, Fernández made Massa his ‘super’ economy minister. For the man from Tigre it was a unique opportunity to return to the middle of things and install himself as a potential presidential candidate, even when he had to deal with runaway inflation and rising poverty.
“You took charge at a difficult time and you did not knuckle under,” Fernández de Kirchner praised him during the campaign. It was her only kind remark.
What is true is that Massa has been unable to tame the economy – inflation and poverty rose but the government is satisfied that a social outburst has been avoided. That was the launching-pad for his presidential bid.
Pragmatic like few people, Massa started off in the liberal UCEDÉ but the votes of his current coalition mostly represent the progressive centre-left. He does not blush when admitting it. He was a friend of Néstor Kirchner, which eventually took him to being Cristina’s Cabinet chief. He left Kirchnerism accused of being a traitor, confronted it in key elections and even promised to “sweep away the ñoquis [“paid state parasites”] of [the] La Cámpora" political youth organisation.
He was on the point of forming an alliance with Mauricio Macri but decided to join the Frente Renovador onto the Alberto-Cristina ticket as its third leg. This game of political roulette has now left him one step away from achieving his objective. In his team they eye in amazement the collapse of the opposition, taking note of the maxim attributed to Napoleón of never interrupting an enemy when they are making a mistake.
When Massa was asked about the back and forth of Juntos por el Cambio and their alliance with Milei, he said: “I’ve only seen a bit of what’s happened, it’s not an issue I’ve been following. I understand that it greatly confuses people.” His focus is on the finish line: despite all the country’s economic problems, he feels confident of attaining the objective for which he has been preparing for more than 30 years.
Comments