The Monday after the elections, Sergio Massa entered the Ministry of Economy surrounded by employees and activists: “Massa president,” they chanted euphorically after the crash on Sunday the 22nd. “In November, whatever the cost,” they also intoned. But the candidate did not accompany them in the euphoria: he barely greeted them, exaggerating restraint. He took selfies, asked them to calm down and went into the office to monitor the markets’ reaction.
Even at the happiest moment of his political career, Massa did not deviate from the script. He was not even overwhelmed on election Sunday, after being surprised that he had obtained 36.7% of the votes and had been well above Javier Milei (30%) and Patricia Bullrich (23.8%). He went up to the stage alone and with a calm voice thanked her. He is closer than ever to his life’s goal, but he knows that any mistake will be costly.
Strategy. Massa’s script does not change. He will continue until November 19 taking measures that simulate economic relief in the midst of the crisis. Hours after the election, before foreign correspondents to give a signal to the world, he announced a preferential dollar for exports of goods and services. A provision that will apply only for the next month.
Massa has one point in his favor ahead of the runoff: neither high inflation, nor the scandalous level of poverty, nor the constant devaluation of the currency weakened his candidacy in the general elections. “This month we are not going to have more challenges than we already had,” the candidate for vice president of Unión por la Patria, Agustín Rossi, consoles himself before this chronicler.
The other leg of the plan has to do with doing the opposite of what the opposition is doing: not offering positions on television, as Milei did. Do not cross paths at press conferences, as the PRO and radicalism did. “We are going to go look for the citizens, not the leaders. To all those who share our values,” says Rossi.
The truth is that Massa is also thinking about some calls to the more moderate sectors of the opposition. But these agreements are negotiated privately and without haste.
The first political move of the Minister of Economy was to demand that Leandro Santoro get out of the runoff against Jorge Macri for the leadership of the Buenos Aires Government. The candidate called him by phone and explained that cross-campaigns were not going to be possible: while Massa had to seek the vote of Together for Change that was left loose, Santoro was going to go against JxC to convince Marra’s voters. Furthermore, with this movement of chips, they eliminated the possibility of Together for Change to campaign in November.
Of course, as a consolation prize, Massa added Santoro to his campaign team and promised him a place in his cabinet, if he is elected. A win-win negotiation.
The signs so far are positive. In the ministry they are surprised by some of the support they receive, such as that of Hans Humes, executive director of an investment group that is part of the vulture funds. “It’s kind of an ideal scenario,” he said. And he added: “A centrist Peronist who embarks on the necessary reforms is much better than a polarizing figure.”
But what caught the most attention was the approval of the Supreme Court. The president, Horacio Rosatti, spoke at a university about the need to achieve “national unity”, the concept of the campaign carried out by Massa.
The relationship between the highest court of Justice and the Ministry of Economy is fluid. The thing is that the Judiciary works together with that portfolio to readjust their budgets. In such a way that the comings and goings are several and, according to what judicial sources tell NOTICIAS, “since Massa’s arrival he changed for the better, he is a well-oiled job.” In Court they say that the Unión por la Patria candidate “is a guy with whom you can talk.” In the ministry it is celebrated like a goal.
