The Government is waiting for a reply by Cristina Kirchner, who deepens her silence after the harsh message of Alberto Fernández

Alberto Fernández tried to be as clear as possible in the last hours of political turbulence that torment the ruling party, when he assured that the decisions he takes them at the top of the Government and that no one expects from him a gesture that would break the unity of the Frente de Todos.

“I value Máximo and Cristina but there is no collegiate presidency, the decisions are made by me,” he said in a journalistic interview. Message for Kirchnerism and for Peronism that is behind it. The power of the Government belongs to it and will not generate circumstances that end up breaking the coalition, as some close leaders ask it.

That answer seems to assume that it will not advance on the most important positions held by La Campora on the State map, as requested in the sector of Peronism that responds to him. Moving a key piece of camporism would lead to a new peak of internal tension.

But it also highlights his willingness to concentrate authority and power in the final stretch of management, and to withstand the Kirchner attacks that he supposes he will continue to have throughout his remaining two years of office. Resist internal darts as a style of government.

“He said what he had to say, it only remains to see what he is going to do,” explained an important voice of albertism who, for a long time, has been waiting for the President to mark the court for Cristina Kirchner and La Campora. The wait continues. Maybe it's eternal.

In the Peronist ranks there is a lot of distrust about Alberto Fernández's movements. About what he's going to do from now on and with the coalition in full swing. The vast majority are inclined to think that they will maintain the status quo and that they will only give bombastic speeches. That nothing will change too much.

In his last public appearance Fernández made clear his desire not to break the political alliance. “On my part don't expect a single gesture that will break unity,” he said. He tried, in this way, to expose his role as a driver and to reaffirm, as he has done a few times, that he is the one who makes the decisions.

It has had to be clarified on so many occasions that it has become counterproductive. Repeated claims that he has power in his hands only show weakness. That is why in Peronism they insist that more than words, facts are missing.

With that handful of assessments, the President moved the tile that he had to play on the Peronist board. Tough and negotiating at the same time. He proclaimed himself in favor of unity, even if it hurts. And, above all, even if it ends up wearing down its management, its image and its incipient re-election project.

Meanwhile, the second lines continue to try to bring positions closer between the Casa Rosada and the toughest Kirchnerism. The reality is that the puzzle will only end up if the President and Vice President manage to close a governance agreement for the next few months.

Now is the time for Cristina Kirchner. The former Head of State maintains a long public silence that was only interrupted by her voice-over in the videos that show how her Senate office was destroyed.

He has not stated precisely about the agreement reached with the IMF, nor about the internal political one that shakes the Front of All, and that has cracked the entire coalition. There is uncertainty in the Government about what the Vice-President will do in the coming days. A new letter? A publication on your networks? Absolute silence?

There are those who believe that next Thursday, on the Day of Remembrance, you can establish a position through a new letter. The rumor revolves around the halls of Casa Rosada and the ruling party, and has given Cristina Kirchner a certain centrality. A gesture or a few words is expected, but some movement that will bring her out of silence in the middle of the gale.

Fernández and Kirchner's paths are now completely separate. A small example of this are the most important events they had yesterday on their agendas. The President held a virtual meeting with the head of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, in which he confirmed that next Friday he will be approved the Fund's plan.

On the other hand, the Vice-President met with the head of Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, Hebe de Bonafini, on the eve of March 24. Bonafini is a leader who has extremely harshly questioned Alberto Fernández's management and the agreement with the IMF. The two postcards that expose the differences.

The same thing will happen tomorrow when the President commemorates Memorial Day at an event other than that of La Campora, in a further demonstration that, although the channels of communication are open to revive dialogue, today the coalition is completely broken.

The last request for unity came in a statement issued last night by the Peronist mayors of the 1st and 3rd electoral sections of the province of Buenos Aires, where the most populous municipalities in the country are located. At a meeting held in La Matanza, they called on Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner to resume dialogue and defuse the crisis.

“We know that we have to go through difficult times. Macrismo, pandemic, war. That is why united, we have the strength to overcome all obstacles,” they said in a statement. The request is in line with that made by the chancellor, Santiago Cafiero, and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Sergio Massa, who called for the President and Vice-President to resume dialogue.

Communication between the two is still cut off. The only step forward was that channels of communication began to open up between leaders of albertism and camporism to try lower the levels of tension, and negotiate a new truce.

An official very close to the Head of State, and willing to maintain unity at any cost, highlighted in a single sentence the sentiment of a portion of the Government: “The fight leads to nothing. When we Peronists fought, we did very badly.”

Another sector, more critical and less patient with Fernández, is the one that expects a much stronger gesture of authority than public statements. Many of those who are in that territory started the year encouraged by building Fernández's re-election project. Faced with the facts, they entered deep distress.

KEEP READING: