Crown prince of Argentina’s most powerful political dynasty advances his career

Maximo Kirchner

The 44-year-old is the crown prince of the most powerful political dynasty Argentina has produced in the past 50 years.

(Photo: AP)

Salvador Anyone who hears him speak at one of the numerous party meetings of the Peronists, who have ruled Argentina intermittently for more than half a century, will be amazed: where does this inconspicuous young man get his pronounced self-confidence from?

Máximo Kirchner, 44, is the crown prince of the most powerful political dynasty Argentina has produced in the past 50 years.

While Juan Domingo Perón significantly influenced Argentine politics from 1946 to 1973, the Kirchners have been the country’s most influential family since Néstor Kirchner took office as president in 2003. Néstor Kirchner was succeeded by his wife Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for two mandates (2007 to 2015) in the presidency. Although she has only been Vice President since 2019, she continues to direct the government’s fortunes.

Son Máximo is now preparing for the clan’s next takeover of power. The resemblance to his father Néstor Kirchner, who died of heart failure in 2010, is great – and undoubtedly helpful when starting your own career.

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With the current resignation as leader of the Peronist parliamentary group in the House of Representatives, Máximo is sabotaging the agreement that President Alberto Fernández’s government has just negotiated with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Argentina was thus able to prevent another payment default on its foreign debt at the last minute. Conditions have turned out unexpectedly favorable for Argentina. The government does not have to promise austerity measures. The fund spreads repayments over 12 years, with a generous grace period, so the government doesn’t have to worry about making principal or interest payments until the end of its term. She even gets a new loan of five billion dollars.

A disaster for Argentina’s president

But Máximo has now declared in an open letter that he cannot support the agreement.

This is a disaster for President Fernández, because the government has been in the minority in Congress since the midterm elections last November. After Máximo’s resignation, other MPs loyal to him will not vote for the deal with the IMF – and neither will the opposition.

It is obvious that Máximo has his own political agenda. He has been planning this for a long time – largely in the shadow of his parents. Máximo initially broke off his studies and in 2006 – like his role model Perón – founded the party’s own youth organization called “La Campora”.

They fill key positions in state-owned companies and at the political levers from among their ranks. It is a mobile task force and at the same time the financial machine of the Kirchners – one of the most powerful factions in the colorful universe of the Peronists, who politically range from the far left to the far right. Máximo has been a member of parliament since 2015, first for Patagonia, where the family is based, and now for the province of Buenos Aires.

Máximo is now pursuing a dual strategy with his mother: he rejects the agreement with the IMF, while she keeps a low profile. By backing away from the deal with the IMF, he rejects any responsibility for the agreed stability policy.

Continue to support the government

He will then be able to use the foreseeable ongoing economic crisis and the tense social climate in the next two years in the 2023 election campaign to present himself as an alternative candidate for the Peronists.

At the same time, Máximo does not want to break completely with the government. He will continue to support the government, he said in his letter. In fact, as a member of the ruling party in Congress, Máximo would like to continue to use the privileges of his office to be able to prepare his political career undisturbed by the judiciary.

Like his mother, he is also involved in several investigations into money laundering and illegal party financing. In Santa Cruz, southern Argentina, the Kirchners have been building up a real estate empire for many years. The Kirchners’ hotels there repeatedly recorded record sales, even though there were no guests at all. His aunt Alicia Kirchner is governor there.

Allegedly, his mother advised him not to give up the chair of the parliamentary group. So far, Cristina Kirchner has not actually commented on the agreement.

But Máximo’s revolt has also prompted President Fernández to reposition himself. During a state visit to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Fernández hastily declared that Argentina wanted to reduce its dependence on the IMF and the USA. It couldn’t be any better for Máximo.

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