Macri reinforces in 2nd book plans to return to power in Argentina

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With an eye on the 2023 elections in Argentina, former president Mauricio Macri released this week “Para Qué”, his second book. Like “Primer Tiempo”, published last year, the work is based on his political trajectory, with general proposals for solutions to the country’s problems.

The book serves for Macri to express the intention of launching himself to the presidency again. He, who has not yet officially declared himself a pre-candidate, would be the third candidate for his center-right alliance, Juntos por el Cambio. The other two are the current head of government of the city of Buenos Aires, which has provincial status, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, and former security minister Patricia Bullrich.

If in “Primer Tiempo” Macri justified the broken promises made by his management, which had to ask for a US$ 56 billion loan from the IMF and ended up with a failed reelection attempt, in “Para Qué” he leaves the mea culpa aside and tries to point out solutions — in addition to making harsh criticisms of the current president, Alberto Fernández, also a frequent target of the Brazilian Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Irony or not, the idea of ​​releasing a book before announcing a pre-candidacy was the strategy of his rival, former president Cristina Kirchner in the 2019 election. on Fernández’s plate. With the work, she held launch events, including campaign speeches, from north to south of the country.

Macri appears to be following in the same footsteps. Since last Tuesday (18), when “Para Qué” hit bookstores, the former president has already given interviews to several local media outlets with an editorial line critical of Kirchnerism. Now, prepare for the face-to-face launches in the coming weeks.

The subtitle of the work—”Learning about Leadership and Power, to Win the Second Time”—insinuates the self-help tone of the text, edited by its former Minister of Culture, Pablo Avelluto.

Macri uses the experiences of a “team leader”, as president of Boca Juniors, head of government of Buenos Aires and president, to defend what would be the efficiency of his methods, such as quick and punctual meetings and confrontations between employees who have differences or that they are badmouthing each other.

The former head of the Casa Rosada traces a timeline from General Juan Domingo Perón (1895-1974) to Cristina, his predecessor, to point out populism as one of the reasons for the Argentine crisis and the deterioration of the political and economic scenario. “We have to change that. The same country where populism was born in Latin America must bury it,” he said in an interview with La Nación+ channel.

What was not good in his government is treated as “light populism” — that is, the policy of gradualism, in which subsidies implemented by today’s deputy were withdrawn, with the increase in tariffs for services.

In the book, Macri says that current Argentine society would be more prepared for these actions, which at the time eroded its popularity. “‘Light populism’ is not an option. Gradualism was the product of our weakness, not our vocation. In the next government, there will be more strength and more conditions to carry out structural reforms in the first hours of the mandate”, he writes.

The politician is also more forceful than he was in power in his speech in favor of labor reforms and the de-bureaucratization of the State. “We must have the courage to put an end to obsolete legislation with regard to work, pensions and tax policy. One of the things I learned in the presidency is that if you don’t do things right away, chances are you’ll never be able to do them. .”

Another criticism is aimed at protectionism in the economy and Fernández’s high social spending. “The Argentine state has collapsed, and the next government will not be able to continue defending protectionism at the expense of consumers. We are a gigantic factory of deficit, inflation and poverty.” In a much higher tone than that of his last campaign, he still defends a policy of privatization.

The book has parts of a romantic and even naive tone, something also present in “Primer Tiempo”. “This book is about the mysterious path to happiness. It’s about my personal journey and what I learned on it. It’s the reason for so many things I’ve lived and are still to be done. Why be president of a football club, why change a city ​​and change a country?”, he asks himself, with the expression that gives the work its title.

“Para Qué”, by the way, is not the only book released by the Macri family last week. Former first lady Juliana Awada published “Roots”, with tips and recipes she developed during the pandemic. When Macri was president, she entertained her followers with advances from the vegetable garden she cultivated in the official residence.

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