Mauricio Macri reappears in Argentine politics with a book and hints at his interest in returning to the presidency

The book 'Primer tiempo', by former Argentine president Mauricio Macri, exhibited in a Buenos Aires bookstore on March 17, 2021.RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP

Mauricio Macri is back.

The former president jumps back onto the political field in the same way that his great enemy, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, did: with a book.

If hers was called

, although it was not entirely sincere, Macri's is called

.

Which gives an idea that the former president hopes to enjoy a second half, a second chance to "transform Argentina."

The man who in 2019 was defeated by the Peronist duo of the Fernándezes, Alberto and Cristina, presented his book (which, according to the publisher, already has 70,000 copies thanks to the pre-sale) before a faithful and dedicated public.

The Buenos Aires Convention Center, at half capacity due to the pandemic, erupted in applause when Macri said that "Kirchnerism is the terminal form of populism" and predicted that after the failure of the current Government would come "twenty years of reforms and prosperity" .

Mauricio Macri occasionally resorted to demagoguery (such as when he said that his policies would have allowed "that in Argentina now there were vaccines for everyone"), but he focused his message on justifying the errors of his mandate and on highlighting the successes.

"We learned from mistakes and we will not make them again," he said.

The current crisis under a Peronist government also meant, according to him, a "learning" for Argentine society.

In the chapter dedicated to economic failure, the fundamental cause of his defeat against the Fernándezes, he acknowledges that there were mistakes.

But he concludes that he should not be severe with himself, because he could not do more with the ruin that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner left him.

"When we took office, Argentina was asymptomatic bankrupt," he said on Thursday night, during the presentation ceremony.

The former president did not clarify whether he planned to run for the presidential elections in 2023, although the electoral tone of the presentation gave some clue about the matter.

He insisted that many things had been achieved during his tenure, including a transparent administration and a respectful attitude towards judicial independence (objections could be raised on the second point), and that there was an urgent need to resume the path of reforms.

It was necessary to open Argentina to world trade, he said, and turn it back into the "giant" that it was a century ago.

Mauricio Macri is no longer the undisputed leader of macrismo.

The ex-governor of Buenos Aires, María Eugenia Vidal;

the head of Government of the city of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta;

and former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich have presidential aspirations.

What could happen to Macri as to his arch enemy Fernández de Kirchner: he arouses great enthusiasm, but also great rejection, which makes it difficult to achieve an electoral majority.

In any case, Macri maintains an intense emotional connection with his family.

He was the leader of a very hopeful movement for many Argentines and even in the last months of his mandate, when everything was bitter and winning reelection was clearly impossible, he gathered millions of people in the streets.

The event was supported by brief filmed interventions by telematic guests (among them Mario Vargas Llosa, Fernando Savater, Julio María Sanguinetti, Pilar Rahola, Juan José Campanella) who, after the corresponding praise for the book and its author, asked a question.

Sanguinetti, former president of Uruguay, wanted to know when the "second half" of macrismo would begin.

"The second half has already started," proclaimed Macri, "you have to jump onto the court."

Subscribe here

to the

EL PAÍS América

and receive all the information keys on the region's current affairs