MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires City mayor admits CFK is ‘almost unbeatable’; looks for better relations

Macri praises Argentine government’s merits and admits “it is hard to beat the math

Buenos Aires City Mayor, Mauricio Macri, admitted on Monday that it is “almost impossible” to beat President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in October’s presidential elections.

The recently re-elected conservative mayor and business tycoon said that the government’s high popularity is due to “its own merits but also due to mistakes made by the opposition”.

Macri came on stage after the landslide victory of Cristina Fernandez and her candidates in the August 14 Primary election, and revealed “it is hard to beat the math and the national government made an outstanding election (primaries). The government’s large margin victory, plus the existent differences among members of the opposition it’s almost impossible to revert the electoral trend by October”.

The government of Cristina Fernandez staged a long term eroding battle to discredit Macri fearing he was the only presidential hopeful that had a chance. She denied funds, credit support, involved him in alleged illegal wiretapping and handed over an unprepared and non funded metropolitan police to the City of Buenos Aires, among other things.

Finally Macri after receiving no support from other opposition groups or candidates, decided to step down from the 2011 presidential bid and concentrate on his re-election bid which he won by a landslide clearly defeating Cristina Fernandez sponsored candidate. Following his successful re-election as mayor he anticipated he would run for president in 2014.

Since then and in spite that President Cristina Fernandez had never granted the mayor of Buenos Aires City an interview on the night he was re-elected, she rang up to congratulate him. Similarly on the night of August 14 he phoned to compliment Mrs. Kirchner on her victory.

A cold distant relation that night seemed to become less aggressive since Mrs Kirchner asked Macri if he was properly dressed. This was because when her call to congratulate the mayor of Buenos Aires he admitted to being so taken aback by the unexpected call that he later confessed he ‘spoke to the President in his under pants’.

In line with that approach former Deputy Mayor of Buenos Aires and conservative lawmaker, Gabriela Michetti came on stage to give further signs about the intention of narrowing down differences between the National and City governments.

In effect Michetti admitted having met with Daniel Filmus (the Kirchner candidate for mayor of Buenos Aires defeated by Macri) in order to rebuild the relationship between the two administrations.

“It's a big waste that two governments of such importance cannot understand each other,” the lawmaker said in dialogue with a local radio, and added “It is serious because it affects the quality of life for the residents of the City.”

Likewise, Michetti emphasized that although there were conversations held with Filmus, and other signs of approach between the two administrations, “until we have something concrete, I cannot say the relationship has improved.”

Furthermore, the lawmaker stressed that the attitude of the Conservative PRO “has always sought to be open but during Macri’s first term, he [Macri] couldn’t establish a fluent relationship with President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. So, now we need to rethink things and see how to start all over”.