Mauricio Macri and his first birthday out of power: between rest, football and the construction of the opposition leadership

02/08/2020 - 11:08

• Clarín.com
• Politics

This Saturday the former president of the Nation, Mauricio Macri, celebrates his 61st birthday , the first out of power, surrounded by his family, who finds him contesting the opposition's leadership with his allies of Together for Change, although with brief public appearances and about to assume as president of the FIFA Foundation.

From early on, the #FelizCumpleGato hashtag grew as a trend in social networks, which was then accompanied by more formal ones such as #FelizCumpleMauricio and #FelizCumplePteMacri that led the word Macri to be among the most mentioned of the day.

It is the first birthday in 12 years in which Macri is out of public service, since he assumed as Head of the Buenos Aires Government in 2007, then was re-elected for four years and later was consecrated president.

Far from public appearances, he only held a meeting with Patagonian leaders and was photographed with tourists in shops in Villa La Angostura and is now in Buenos Aires.

In the morning most of the messages on the networks were from Cambiemos militants and after 10.30 the former governor María Eugenia Vidal expressed herself. "Years go by and we continue to change. Together. Happy birthday Mauricio Macri! Have a lovely day with Juliana, Antonia and the whole family. I send you a huge kiss ," the former provincial president posted on her Twitter account.

Years go by and we keep changing. Together. Happy birthday @mauriciomacri! Have a lovely day with Juliana, Antonia and the whole family. I send you a big kiss. pic.twitter.com/TVTmghCwFg

His first public appearance of the year was in Villa La Angostura, Neuquén, where he met with provincial leaders of that town and Río Negro. "I always told everyone, be careful that the markets don't give you more money and we're going to shit," was one of the phrases that transcended that meeting that he kept with Sergio Whiskey, Anibal Tortoriello, Nicolás Suárez Colman, among others leaders. The phrase generated rispideces with the radicals. Some, like Alfredo Cornejo or Mario Negri, came out to question him. The radical president suggested that he be silent.

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A few weeks ago, Macri was appointed as president of the FIFA Foundation, and while he was supported by the president of the highest international football entity, Gianni Infantino, he reaped harsh criticism at the local level. In the list of detractors were written from Diego Maradona, to the presidents of River and San Lorenzo, Rodolfo D'Onofrio and Marcelo Tinelli, among others.

Beyond his new position at FIFA, Macri builds his leadership as head of the opposition but still without public appearances. His party, PRO, defined new authorities, where Patricia Bullrich was confirmed as national head in replacement of missionary senator Humberto Schiavoni.

Infantino, president of FIFA, had already granted recognition to Macri in 2019.

The designations within the PRO clear any concerns about Macri's leadership in the party he founded. In turn, it also marks that Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and María Eugenia Vidal were somewhat relegated in the internal power positions.