The scenario described by a group of businessmen during a lunch last week at the headquarters of one of the most important industrial organizations is forceful.
For 2023, they described an economic situation that, beyond the efforts that it seeks to show Sergio Massa at the head of the Ministry of Economy, they will not be enough to direct the disaster that, they say, is coming from the second semester.
At the request of the participants, the note excludes naming those who were present at the conclave at noon on one of the last days of last week. But several of those consulted by iProfessional agreed on the diagnosis: Argentina suffers from a worrisome economic situation that will be aggravated by the political disputes that are looming on the electoral front that, since May, will be faced by both the ruling alliance of the Frente de Todos and the main opposition party, Cambiemos .
The request is simple and repetitive. That politics prioritize initiatives that respond to the current social and economic situation, and focus on the search for consensus to solve the problems that affect all Argentines.
Lack of definitions about the candidates
But the lack of definitions regarding who the presidential candidates will be plays a fundamental role in deepening the uncertainty about the paths that will be proposed for “steer the ship” and prevent it from ending up like the Titanic.
Although Argentina was close to colliding with the iceberg many times, it was always possible twist the rudder at the last momentbut in this case the businessmen understand that the debates that politics is raising are far from the shortcomings that society claims to solve.
solve the economy and end the attack on the Court
Various corporate organizations such as the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA); the AmCham; AEA; IDEA; the CAC and ACDE They are warning about this deviation.
They point out that the dispute between the political powers focuses on the legal cases that affect the vice president Cristina Kirchner; to push the members of the Supreme Court into an abyss and to subdue the independence of the judiciary to favor those who today have the privilege of occupying offices in the Casa Rosada or in any other state agency.
The faults of Kirchnerism and the role of Massa
In this sense, they make a caveat. They blame members of Kirchnerism and its satellites, such as The Campora or various piquetero organizations from being the ones that “add fuel to the fire.”
stand out massa’s role in trying to stay away from this crack and focus on the economic agenda that he outlined when he took office to improve the outlook, but they also point out that, six months after that August 2, 2021, the agenda of issues remains the same. In fact, a recent document released by AmChamthe chamber that brings together North American multinationals with operations in Argentina, clearly summarizes how close to the abyss the local economy once again finds itself.
According to the entity, the country is unable to stop the drop in liquid reserves of the Central Bank; imports of inputs and intermediate products for industry and commerce continue to be limited; the clamps on prices are massified without this measure ending up curbing inflation; the diagnoses that are sent to the Palacio de Hacienda are not taken into account; and insists on setting the agenda on the judicial issue.
For the AmChamthe combo is completed with the strong damage that the drought is causing by reducing agricultural production and affecting exports, reducing the level of activity “already affected by the drop in private investment and will place us in the feared stagflation scenario: recession with high inflation rates.
They blame members of Kirchnerism and its satellites, such as La Cámpora, for being the ones that “add fuel to the fire.”
official disorientation
Concern over official disorientation was also the subject of a report by the Institute for Business Development of Argentina (IDEA) from where the request is reiterated that politics take care of resolving the economic shortcomings suffered by society instead of insisting on the Supreme Court trial.
“We believe that it affects the operating principles of our republican system since it is fundamentally based on the disagreement on the part of a political sector with the content of some recent sentences,” says the text, published after the Committee on Impeachment of Deputies determine the admissibility of the grounds for Impeachment of the four members of the Supreme Court promoted by the Government.
The document seems to be based on the one released by the Christian Association of Business Leaders (ACDE) that showed “great concern” how the Government keeps the cannons pointed at the members of the Supreme Court of Justice for not agreeing with some of its rulings, but leaves aside the adoption of the necessary measures to reduce poverty; reduce inflation; improve public accounts; facilitate foreign trade; generate foreign exchange and, above all, recover a scenario of credibility and certainty that allow us to think about new investments.
“It is requested to respect the scope of decision of each of the powers of the State, fulfill the commitments assumed by the country with its creditors, ensure internal peace by improving security throughout the territory, seek the well-being of Argentines by seriously attacking inflation “, warns the document.
Focus on education
also asks improve the education of young people, “demanding compliance with approval standards, among other urgent issues, such as tasks that occupy the rulers of our country and in particular the National Congress.”
Instead of that, from ACDE it is questioned that the few energies that remain are being wasted in an unfeasible process against Justice. “We urge the deputies of the commission of Impeachment address urgent issues that the country needs,” they add.
“We urge the Deputies of the Impeachment Committee to address urgent issues that the country needs,” the businessmen indicated.
The same tone used by the AmCham communiqué that demands that the Congress that they prioritize initiatives that respond to the current social and economic situation of the country instead of being “paralyzed by the initiative to impeach the members of the Supreme Court.”
For North American companies, it is an advance that does not have the possibility of prospering due to the relationship of forces between the members of the ruling bloc and the opposition and that neither “has any justification, nor does it accredit sufficient constitutional elements to be effective.”
parliamentary strike
Both AmCham and ACDE ask to understand the “enormous” potential offered by various productive sectors of the country to contribute to macroeconomic stabilization.
However, they warn that this path requires “each of the three powers to act in accordance with their powers, and within a republican framework”, as AmCham understands it from where the ruling class is claimed “regenerate conditions of trust, and respect for institutions and legal certainty are the fundamental pillars of such trust”.
The message goes more than anything to functioning of Congress“in which all political currents should be debating today and reaching agreements that allow overcoming the problems that afflict the population in general, but especially those vulnerable sectors that need it most.”
However, North American businessmen warn of a “paralysis” of parliamentary activity, precisely because the efforts are focused on nothing more than the impeachment trialshowing “how far politics is from the real problems of society, a situation that undoubtedly also affects the business opportunities that Argentina demands for its recovery and productive development.”
