Argentina has made its strong contrasts a common currency . A few hours after the historic World Cup euphoria, the deep political conflicts that nest in society once again came to the surface . The massive processions left a lesson to both the Government and the opposition: none of the contenders could capitalize on a hubbub that bears their own names, those of Leo Messi and the entire squad of the selection.
And since politics cannot offer a common ground, as soon as the celebratory songs fell silent, the bitterest dispute prevailed when the Supreme Court ordered President Alberto Fernández to raise from 2.32% to 2.95% the federal funds received by the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country that is administered by one of the most serious aspirants to displace Peronism from power in the 2023 elections, Mayor Horacio Rodriguez Larreta.
Christmas therefore had the color of joy and, at the same time, the shadow of a major institutional conflict whose seed was planted in 2020. In September of that year, Fernández reduced the amount of money that the main district financial, political and cultural of the country had been receiving during the management of Mauricio Macri, who had tripled it through a controversial decree. The city of Buenos Aires He protested and the highest court responded favorably to his claim. The president found the support of most of the provinces, administered by Peronism. The opposition threatened to promote the impeachment of Fernández and legal actions against his main collaborators in the area of the economy. The head of state learned from the outset that the magistrates tried, with his opinion, to give a goal pass to the candidate from a right that has other leaders fighting for the same candidacy: Macri and his former Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich.
The political background
“It is a political ruling, facing the election year,” said Fernández. “I am convinced that the resolution (of the Supreme Court) lacks the foundations required of any judicial decision and therefore is flawed, affects the legitimate rights of the Argentine provinces and breaks the equality on which federalism is based in our National Constitution. “. Despite his anger on social media, the president is trying to strike the impossible balance between restraint and clashing head -on with his opponents. That intermediate point meant challenging the ruling, but, at the same time, transferring the claimed funds for 90 days. The national government will pay with bonds, in the same way that it settled a debt with Santa Fe, the province of Messi.
“Judicial decisions are binding even when deemed unjust,” the president said. In his opinion, that is “the only possible and reasonable remedy in these circumstances, until the substantive issue is resolved or Congress enacts a law.” Fernández instructed his Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, to send Parliament a bill to deal in special sessions with the necessary resources to make it possible to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. “This norm must preserve the current federal system; not affect the rights recognized to the Argentine provinces and compensate the losses that this precautionary measure causes them,” he qualified.
The reaction of the city of Buenos Aires
According to the newspaper Ámbito Financiero , the Government will strictly make a deposit in the city’s accounts, but these titles cannot be used until the lawsuit is fully settled. That is the reason why Mayor Rodríguez Larreta criticized Fernández. “He does everything by halves,” he says. The city of Buenos Aires has presented a new judicial complaint according to which the national government does not comply with the provisions of the Supreme Court. The announced bonds, it has been assured, are worth a third of what must be paid. “The co-participation resources must be transferred daily and cannot be discretionally replaced by another form of financing,” the capital district also assured.
The right has claimed victory, as occurred with the sentence against Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, at the beginning of the month, in a corruption case. Each of its factions tries to claim victory. “We won! The government could not break the rule of law in Argentina. We suspend the complaint for sedition as long as they remain within the constitutional state,” said Bullrich. Beyond the course of the dispute, analysts agree that the mayor has been the recipient of a prodigious Christmas gift from judges who have challenged the Executive on more than one occasion. This new step has allowed Rodríguez Larreta to raise his shares as a presidential candidate in 2023, above Bullrich and even Macri himself. His status as the main opponent of Peronism reaches a national dimension at this time.