ARGENTINA

Motivated by the electoral defeat, on September 15, ministers and officials offered their resignations to the President, Alberto Fernández. However, the Legal and Technical Secretary, Vilma Ibarra, affirmed that up to now “the President has not accepted any resignation” and that “the composition of the Cabinet is at his disposal”.

The election results of September 12 intensified the existing tensions between the different political spaces that coexist in the government coalition. Kirchnerism -for some time- had been proposing changes in the composition of the Cabinet, while the President maintained that it was convenient to keep the same government team, at least until the general elections of November 14. 

In this context, on September 15, different ministers and officials who respond to the leadership of the Vice-President, Cristina Fernandez, offered their resignation to the President. Among others, Ministers Eduardo “Wado” De Pedro (Interior), Martín Soria (Justice), Roberto Salvarezza (Science), Tristán Bauer (Culture), Juan Cabandié (Environment), Luana Volnovich (head of PAMI), Fernanda Raverta (head of ANSES), Paula Español (Secretary of Domestic Trade) and Martín Sabbatella (head of Acumar) offered their resignations. This political decision further aggravated the differences within the government coalition.

In this regard, the Vice-President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández, issued a public letter in which she expresses her position. Among other points, she explains the need to make changes in the composition of the Cabinet and expresses her disagreement with respect to the economic policy implemented by the National Government. In her letter, the former President stated that since the beginning of the Frente de Todos administration she remarked “the lack of effectiveness in different areas of government”. She also pointed out that “a wrong fiscal adjustment policy was being carried out, which was having a negative impact on the economic activity and, therefore, on society as a whole and that, undoubtedly, this was going to have electoral consequences”. 

Meanwhile, the president of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of Frente Renovador (political party that is part of the Government coalition), Sergio Massa, met with the officials of his space (Alexis Guerrera, Minister of Transportation; Malena Galmarini, head of Aysa; Claudio Ambrosini, president of Enacom; José Ignacio De Mendiguren, head of BICE; and Jorge Solmi, Secretary of Agriculture) in order to define their position regarding the crisis of the coalition. He also met with the national deputy and president of the ruling party’s block, Máximo Kirchner. Massa’s entourage assures that his intention is to assume the role of intermediary and conciliator, with a view to sustaining the unity of Frente de Todos.

On the other hand, the President received the support and accompaniment of the governors who respond to the ruling party. Among the provincial governors who backed Alberto Fernández, the following stand out: the governor of San Juan Sergio Uñac, the governor of Misiones Oscar Herrera Ahuad, the governor of Tucumán Juan Manzur, the governor of Neuquén Omar Gutiérrez, the governor of San Luis Alberto Rodríguez Saa, the governor of Catamarca Raúl Jalil and the governor of La Rioja Ricardo Quintela.

Likewise, from the most relevant trade union space in the country ( Confederación General del Trabajo) they also expressed their support to the President in the context of the tensions. “With strength we express our defense to the constitutionally elected government and the presidential institutionality as a full reference of the governability of the country”, they indicated in an institutional statement.

At the moment, president Alberto Fernandez expressed himself only through Twitter. “The government will continue to develop in the way it deems convenient. That is what I was elected for (…) I will continue to guarantee the unity of Frente de Todos based on the respect we owe each other”, he affirmed.