Maria Laura Avignolo
07/31/2020 - 20:39
- Clarín.com
- Politics
As he did for years in European summers, former President Mauricio Macri arrived in Paris on Friday to rest and continue his trip in 14 days to Zurich, where he will fulfill his agenda at the FIFA Foundation. Along with his wife Juliana Awada and daughter Antonia, Macri landed very early on the Air France 229 flight that brought them from Buenos Aires.
Macri will fulfill his “free” quarantine in France, in the midst of a pandemic and when a second wave is feared in Europe . France is suspicious, although cases rose 54 percent in the country in a week.
Macri did not have to swab on arrival at Charles de Gaulle airport. He had done it with his family in Buenos Aires, before leaving, as part of the procedure for them to authorize his trip.
Argentina does not belong to the 16 “risk” countries that are registered in France to comply with this procedure upon arrival. It is excepted as Uruguay, but with the difference that Uruguayans can travel freely through other countries in Europe, because in their country there are very few cases.
The Macri will be able to visit the city and eat in its restaurants, although many of their favorite places remain closed, and also visit their friends. If you shop or enter a closed space, you must enter with a mask, just as you did when you arrived in the country. Switzerland, on the other hand, requires those who visit their country arriving from Buenos Aires 14 days of European quarantine before stepping on its territory.
“I stayed here because in Switzerland they require quarantine. That's how I do it here, but in freedom , ”former President Macri told Clarín via WhatsApp, upon his arrival in Paris.
Although Macri prefers to arrive only at airports, the Argentine vice-consul went to meet them officially and transferred them to his hotel in Paris. They will rest just 48 hours in the French capital before going to the countryside on Sunday, where they will meet again with Valentina, the daughter of Juliana Awada.
With 40 degrees in the city, the Macri rested and enjoyed the comforts, services and air conditioning of the exclusive 19th century palace, the La Reserve hotel, where they are staying.
With little luggage and his computer, Macri arrived in Paris on a "disconnection plan" , before traveling to Zurich to carry out his duties as president of the FIFA Foundation.
He plans to return to Argentina on September 8. Every year, before becoming president, Macri traveled to Europe at this time because Valentina, Juliana's daughter, visits her Belgian father. They rest on an Italian beach or on the French Riviera or sail their friends in the Mediterranean Sea by boat.
To get to France, Macri had to present a reason for his trip, because income from Argentina is limited to France. He presented his need to travel to Switzerland, an authorization from the French authorities and the swabs, which show that they do not have COVID 19, which they had done in Buenos Aires.
Macri accepted the proposal to preside over the FIFA Foundation from his friend, the current head of the FiFA, the Swiss Gianni Infantino. This will be his second visit to Zurich since taking office.
"Mauricio is the perfect one chosen to lead this project, which seeks to take advantage of soccer to benefit society ," Infantino said when nominating him as executive president of the Foundation.
Macri responded honorably with the designation. "As I proved during my G20 presidency, education is an instrument that can level the playing field in terms of opportunities and can, hand in hand with football, help build bridges and contribute to global progress," said the former president in his reply in Zurich in January.
This Friday, a Swiss special prosecutor initiated "criminal proceedings" against Infantino, in a new scandal in the damaged reputation of the international soccer institution.
The proceedings are based on "secret encounters" Infantino had with the discredited Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber, who offered his resignation last week.
Infantino's arrival at FIFA was with the promise of ending years of corruption scandals, after he succeeded Sepp Blatter in 2016, in the midst of the worst affair in his history. This procedure against Infantino is a huge discomfort for this multilingual Swiss-Italian lawyer.
Infantino met Lauber twice in 2016, shortly after his election and again in 2017. Just as the Swiss attorney general was in control of a huge investigation into corruption at FIFA and soccer officials around the world.
Swiss Special Prosecutor Stefan Keller concluded that "there are indications of criminal conduct" in relation to these encounters.
Lauber offered his resignation last week, when a federal court alleged that he had lied about the encounter with Infantino. Infantino and Lauber informed the courts that they did not recall what they had said in those discussions, but Swiss justice suspects that Infantino was trying to influence the Fifa corruption test, and Infantino insisted that he was trying to help in the investigation.
“As FIFA president, it was my goal from day one and continues to be so to assist authorities with investigating past events at FiFA. FIFA officials have met with prosecutors in other jurisdictions around the world for exactly the same purpose, ”Gianni Infantino told reporters yesterday.
Keller opened criminal proceedings against Infantino and has requested authorization to initiate a legal case against Lauber. But he needs permission from the Swiss parliament. He believes there could be crimes of "abuse of confidence in office, breach of official secrecy, aid to criminals, and incitement to these acts ”.
Correspondent in Paris.