Latest news with #Peronists
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Argentina ban on former president Kirchner reshapes political landscape
Former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner stands at the balcony of her home after Argentina's Supreme Court upheld her guilty verdict for defrauding the state, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta/File Photo BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's supreme court has effectively banned former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from government, a move that poses both a challenge and an opportunity for the opposition Peronist party ahead of crunch midterm elections this year. The court upheld a six-year jail term against Kirchner for graft on Tuesday, barring one of the country's most high-profile politicians from holding public office. In the short-term, the decision may enable libertarian President Javier Milei to cement his power base in the October midterm vote, but over the long run it could help revamp the Peronist movement, which was Argentina's most powerful political bloc for decades before being ousted by outsider Milei in 2023. Kirchner, a two-term president from 2007-2015 and a senator and vice president from 2019-2023, faces the possibility of jail time. She will likely be able to push for house arrest because of her age, 72, and the court will decide within five working days whether to grant that request. But she will not be able to run as a legislative candidate in the midterm elections in the province of Buenos Aires, a Peronist stronghold, as she had planned. Nonetheless, the leftist Kirchner, the president and one of the leaders of the Peronist party, may still be able to pull political strings given her strong popular support, especially if she remains out of jail. "Cristina will continue her political career; that's why she's choosing to stay in Buenos Aires, in her department of San José," a source close to the former president told Reuters. Kirchner did not respond to a Reuters interview request. 'MARTYRED LEADER' Peronists are divided over whether her political ban will help the movement reinvent itself or if she will cast an even longer shadow than before, hurting up-and-comers like Buenos Aires governor Axel Kicillof who have clashed with her. "This is detrimental to the renewal, because she's now the martyred leader. She's the center of attention," said a source from Kicillof's Buenos Aires provincial government. Kirchner still enjoys significant popular support from close to 30% of the population, polls show, although she is highly divisive - in part due to the corruption cases against her - and would likely struggle to win election. Analysts said that the court ruling could ultimately allow for the party's modernization, at a time some of its leaders, like Kicillof, claim Peronism as a movement is being banished. "For Peronism, it represents the possibility of renewal. Kicillof is playing the victim and, at the same time, becoming independent," said political scientist Andrés Malamud. The ban against Kirchner will take some of the sting out of her bitter rivalry with Milei, but a new more moderate challenger from the Peronist left could hurt the Argentine president if he slips up. "If Milei can keep the economy steady, nothing will happen, but if this doesn't work, it will probably strengthen Kicillof," said analyst Mariel Fornoni from consultancy Management & Fit. The latest polls showed a tie in the important province of Buenos Aires between Milei's La Libertad Avanza and the Peronist opposition for the midterm elections, according to data from the Electoral Observatory. Victory would not give the ruling party a majority in either chamber of Argentina's Congress, but a larger number of legislators would make it easier for the government to approve privatizations of public companies and tax and labor reforms. "Cristina's conviction gives the government a campaign argument it didn't have. Now it won't need to discuss the economic model," said the Buenos Aires government source. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Argentina ban on former president Kirchner reshapes political landscape
Former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner stands at the balcony of her home after Argentina's Supreme Court upheld her guilty verdict for defrauding the state, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Tomas Cuesta/File Photo BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina's supreme court has effectively banned former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner from government, a move that poses both a challenge and an opportunity for the opposition Peronist party ahead of crunch midterm elections this year. The court upheld a six-year jail term against Kirchner for graft on Tuesday, barring one of the country's most high-profile politicians from holding public office. In the short-term, the decision may enable libertarian President Javier Milei to cement his power base in the October midterm vote, but over the long run it could help revamp the Peronist movement, which was Argentina's most powerful political bloc for decades before being ousted by outsider Milei in 2023. Kirchner, a two-term president from 2007-2015 and a senator and vice president from 2019-2023, faces the possibility of jail time. She will likely be able to push for house arrest because of her age, 72, and the court will decide within five working days whether to grant that request. But she will not be able to run as a legislative candidate in the midterm elections in the province of Buenos Aires, a Peronist stronghold, as she had planned. Nonetheless, the leftist Kirchner, the president and one of the leaders of the Peronist party, may still be able to pull political strings given her strong popular support, especially if she remains out of jail. "Cristina will continue her political career; that's why she's choosing to stay in Buenos Aires, in her department of San José," a source close to the former president told Reuters. Kirchner did not respond to a Reuters interview request. 'MARTYRED LEADER' Peronists are divided over whether her political ban will help the movement reinvent itself or if she will cast an even longer shadow than before, hurting up-and-comers like Buenos Aires governor Axel Kicillof who have clashed with her. "This is detrimental to the renewal, because she's now the martyred leader. She's the center of attention," said a source from Kicillof's Buenos Aires provincial government. Kirchner still enjoys significant popular support from close to 30% of the population, polls show, although she is highly divisive - in part due to the corruption cases against her - and would likely struggle to win election. Analysts said that the court ruling could ultimately allow for the party's modernization, at a time some of its leaders, like Kicillof, claim Peronism as a movement is being banished. "For Peronism, it represents the possibility of renewal. Kicillof is playing the victim and, at the same time, becoming independent," said political scientist Andrés Malamud. The ban against Kirchner will take some of the sting out of her bitter rivalry with Milei, but a new more moderate challenger from the Peronist left could hurt the Argentine president if he slips up. "If Milei can keep the economy steady, nothing will happen, but if this doesn't work, it will probably strengthen Kicillof," said analyst Mariel Fornoni from consultancy Management & Fit. The latest polls showed a tie in the important province of Buenos Aires between Milei's La Libertad Avanza and the Peronist opposition for the midterm elections, according to data from the Electoral Observatory. Victory would not give the ruling party a majority in either chamber of Argentina's Congress, but a larger number of legislators would make it easier for the government to approve privatizations of public companies and tax and labor reforms. "Cristina's conviction gives the government a campaign argument it didn't have. Now it won't need to discuss the economic model," said the Buenos Aires government source. (Reporting by Nicolás Misculin, with additional reporting by Lucila Sigal; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Nia Williams)
Economist
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Economist
An election win boosts Javier Milei's reform project
In most of the world mid-term elections for half of the seats in a city hall would be ignored by presidents and markets alike. Not so in Argentina. Javier Milei, the libertarian president, made his spokesperson his party's leading candidate in elections held on May 18th in Buenos Aires. He cast the capital's ballot as a referendum on his government. His party won 30% of the vote, compared with 27% for the leftist Peronists and 16% for the centre-right PRO, the party of a former president, Mauricio Macri. Argentine shares soared in response and sovereign bonds rose. Having beaten Mr Macri in his stronghold, Mr Milei intends to sideline him entirely, trying to subsume the PRO ahead of national mid-terms in October.
The Hindu
21-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pope Francis visited dozens of countries but never Argentina, his homeland
Argentines have long waited for Pope Francis to visit the homeland he left in 2013 to become the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis has made more than 45 international trips during his papacy, including the first by any pope to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bahrain and Mongolia. Pope Francis death LIVE updates But the one-time archbishop of Buenos Aires has never returned to Argentina. 'One of the great curiosities of his papacy was the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Francis never visited his native country,' Jimmy Burns, author of the 2015 biography 'Francis, Pope of Good Promise' said. Mr. Burns said he believed Francis did not want to be seen siding either with the left-leaning Peronists or the conservatives in the country's polarized political environment. 'Any visit would try and be exploited by one side or the other, and he would unwittingly fuel those divisions,' he said. Many in Argentina anticipated a visit to the country shortly after Francis took office and visited Brazil. There was again chatter about a trip in 2024. But in both cases the visit never materialized. Guillermo Marco, former spokesman for the pope when he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, told Reuters it had been a 'wasted opportunity' for Argentina. Francis, he said, had a 'tango soul' - a reference to the music and dance that has its origins in the back streets of Buenos Aires. 'He would have liked to (come) if he could have made a simple trip, let's say, where he came to visit the people he loves and, I don't know, celebrate a mass for the people,' said Mr. Marco, who retains a close relationship with Francis. 'But he is fully aware there is a whole network of supporters and detractors who are fighting over him.' In September last year, the pope told journalists he had wanted to go to Argentina, saying 'they are my people,' but that 'various matters had to be resolved first.' 'The chorus is divided' During his papacy, the first ever by a Latin American pope, Argentina has been rocked by repeat economic crises and political volatility. The current government is led by President Javier Milei, who has helped stabilize the economy but implemented tough austerity measures. Mr. Milei once called Francis the devil's representative on Earth, though has patched things up since coming into office. Some said Francis should have visited regardless of the political environment over the years. 'The chorus is divided. There are those who say that he should have come anyway because it would have helped close the political rift a little,' said Sergio Rubin, Argentine journalist and co-author of papal biography 'The Jesuit'. Rogelio Pfirter, ambassador to the Vatican from 2016 to 2019 and a one-time student of Bergoglio at a Jesuit school in Argentina, said Francis' drive to boost inclusivity in the Church had been the pope's priority. 'I have no doubt that everything Argentine and the homeland itself is something that has a special place in his head and in his heart,' he told Reuters. But one of the pope's greatest legacies has been 'making a papacy for everyone,' said Mr. Pfirter. 'From the pope's perspective, it has probably been much more important to travel to the Pacific, travel to Africa, travel to some other Latin American countries than to visit regions where the Church already has a strong position.' Many of Argentina's faithful would still have liked to welcome Francis home and remember him as Bergoglio, born in 1936 in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrants.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Pope Francis, the Argentine pontiff who has never returned home
By Lucila Sigal BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentines have long waited for Pope Francis to visit the homeland he left in 2013 to become the head of the Roman Catholic Church. With his health delicate as he battles double pneumonia, the return seems increasingly unlikely now to happen. Pope Francis, 88, has been in a critical condition due to a lung infection. His two weeks in Rome's Gemelli hospital is the longest stay of his papacy and underscores his frailty. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Francis has made more than 45 international trips during his papacy, including the first by any pope to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bahrain and Mongolia. But the one-time archbishop of Buenos Aires has never returned to Argentina. "One of the great curiosities of his papacy was the fact that, unlike his predecessors, Francis never visited his native country," Jimmy Burns, author of the 2015 biography "Francis, Pope of Good Promise" said. Burns said he believed Francis did not want to be seen siding either with the left-leaning Peronists or the conservatives in the country's polarized political environment. "Any visit would try and be exploited by one side or the other, and he would unwittingly fuel those divisions," he said. Many in Argentina anticipated a visit to the country shortly after Francis took office and visited Brazil. There was again chatter about a trip last year. But in both cases the visit never materialized. Guillermo Marco, former spokesman for the pope when he was Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, told Reuters it had been a "wasted opportunity" for Argentina. Francis, he said, had a "tango soul" - a reference to the music and dance that has its origins in the back streets of Buenos Aires. "He would have liked to (come) if he could have made a simple trip, let's say, where he came to visit the people he loves and, I don't know, celebrate a mass for the people," said Marco, who retains a close relationship with Francis. "But he is fully aware there is a whole network of supporters and detractors who are fighting over him." In September, the pope told journalists he had wanted to go to Argentina, saying "they are my people," but that "various matters had to be resolved first." Maximo Jurcinovic, a spokesman for the Argentine bishops' conference, said the Church was focused on praying for the pope's health and would not comment on other matters. Marco said Francis had sounded tired when he spoke to him in late January. "He is 88 years old and then you add to those 88 years the worries and pace of life that he tries to lead," he said. "It's like he has a willpower, a spiritual strength that God gives him that makes his body do things, but his body is already telling him: 'I can't.' That's a bit what happened to him now." 'THE CHORUS IS DIVIDED' During his papacy, the first ever by a Latin American pope, Argentina has been rocked by repeat economic crises and political volatility. The current government is led by President Javier Milei, who has helped stabilize the economy but implemented tough austerity measures. Milei once called Francis the devil's representative on Earth, though has patched things up since coming into office. Some said Francis should have visited regardless of the political environment over the years. "The chorus is divided. There are those who say that he should have come anyway because it would have helped close the political rift a little," said Sergio Rubin, Argentine journalist and co-author of papal biography "The Jesuit". Rogelio Pfirter, ambassador to the Vatican from 2016 to 2019 and a one-time student of Bergoglio at a Jesuit school in Argentina, said Francis' drive to boost inclusivity in the Church had been the pope's priority. "I have no doubt that everything Argentine and the homeland itself is something that has a special place in his head and in his heart," he told Reuters. But one of the pope's greatest legacies has been "making a papacy for everyone," said Pfirter. "From the pope's perspective, it has probably been much more important to travel to the Pacific, travel to Africa, travel to some other Latin American countries than to visit regions where the Church already has a strong position." Many of Argentina's faithful would still have liked to welcome Francis home and remember him as Bergoglio, born in 1936 in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrants. "That the pope has not come until now hurts me, it hurts me a little," said Claudia Nudel, at a recent mass in Buenos Aires to pray for the pope's recovery. Silvia Leda, 70, also at the mass, said: "I would have liked him to come, but I think the most important thing is what he can do for the world."
