MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: Massa “believes Macri wins”, but Scioli is “still fighting and much alive”

Massa after the first round said he favored 'change' and now that the runoff campaign is coming to its end, admitted that “I have the feeling Macri wins”.

Sergio Massa, the third contender in the Argentine presidential dispute and who did not make it to the runoff last 25 October, but managed 21% of ballots, some five million votes, compared to incumbent Daniel Scioli's 37% and Mauricio Macri's 34%, has been very careful in advancing whom he would support or recommend to vote on Sunday 22 November.

 However the potential 'kingmaker', who from the very start following the October first round said he favored 'change' but support would be conditioned to a raft of demands, has when the runoff campaign is coming to its end publicly admitted that “I have the feeling Macri wins”.

Incumbent “Scioli is having a rough time, he's complicated”, said Massa but added that nevertheless he sees “Scioli with his arms up fighting, ...and when you're fighting means you're alive”.

On the week following 25 October, Massa had already anticipated certain inclination when the underlined that “undoubtedly Argentina needs a change, but we need guarantees that we are moving towards a country where we will be replacing the social benefits program as the path to the recovery of dignity for millions of Argentines”.

He then added, “I don't want Scioli to win”. Furthermore the Macri campaign alliance comes under the name of “Let's change” and 'change' has become a magic word of the electoral dispute.

According to opinion polls, the Massa or Renewal Front votes can be expected to split some 60% for Macri and 40% for Scioli.

Treading the delicate middle ground Massa went a step further and anticipated that “inflation will continue, unless a painful path is adopted”. But when asked about a tough adjustment by the next government, whichever, he added, “I don't think Daniel Scioli or Mauricio Macri will make that decision. I hope there's no adjustment...if they do decide they will have me on other side”.

But again acting with most prudence and referring to Sunday's debate he said: “Juliana was the winner with her kiss...it was the best of the debate” in reference to Awada, who is Macri's wife and went on stage at the end to congratulate her husband with a passionate kiss.

However Massa's block is not unanimous: a lawmaker from his Renewal Front (FR) grouping and important representative of Argentina's manufacturing lobby, warned that “you come out of a crisis by growing, not with adjustment”.

José Ignacio De Mendiguren, who has been president of Argentina's Industrial Union several times insisted that the key to the crisis exit is growth. ”Nobody doubts about the macroeconomic imbalance that has to be corrected”.

Under president Cristina Fernandez Argentina has implemented an industrial policy which boosted domestic manufacturing and consumption market, but which has been criticized by trading partners as 'clearly protectionist'.

De Mendiguren made the statement after holding a lunch with political leaders working for Daniel Scioli’s victory on Sunday’s presidential runoff.

The industry leader shared lunch with Buenos Aires province minister of Government Cristina Álvarez Rodríguez, provincial MP Fernando “Chino” Navarro, BA City legislator Jorge Taiana and former ambassador to the Vatican Juan Pablo Cafiero, a meeting that was seen as a sign of support to Scioli’s presidential bid.

Felipe Solá, who competed for Buenos Aires province governor in the October elections under the Renewal Front ballot, was also present during the event.

“The Renewal Front was the space that gave proposals the most, to face Argentina’s problems. The votes are not of FR and candidates are the ones that have to conquer them,” he said.

“Elections already happened and we, as the Renewal Front clearly said what this citizens' space has decided. Five million people chose us because they agreed with our proposals. The Argentina that is coming will have a lot of dialogue” forecasted Solá.