“We need to make it to the World Cup” – that was the phrase that many in the Casa Rosada have repeated in the past few weeks. The oasis provided by the temporary distraction generated by the biggest sporting event in the world in a football-obsessed country is a recurring theme for Argentina’s political class, with its eternal propensity for scandal.
This time around it’s the fate of Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni, who remains under siege for an unexplainable improvement in his lifestyle, wealth and assets since taking office. The Milei siblings are hoping all will be forgotten in the heat of the competition in a country where more than 70 percent expects the team led by Lionel Messi to win the World Cup, according to one recent poll. Messi’s hat-trick in the opening match against Algeria and the exquisite form displayed by Líonel Scaloni’s men gives the Argentine “hincha” or fan hopes that the Albiceleste will go deep into the final stages of the tournament, despite tough opposition and betting odds that put teams like France, Spain and England ahead of Argentina. President Javier Milei and Karina, his sister and the presidential chief-of-staff, are certainly praying for a deep run for the national team, hoping it can help to dissipate the dense political atmosphere being felt in Buenos Aires these days. For an administration obsessed with communication and distraction, the opportunity is too good to pass on, but it isn’t clear whether they will succeed.
The Adorni scandal is the bullet that made it deepest past the armour. Previous cases like the ‘$LIBRA’ cryptocurrency scandal and alleged corruption at the ANDIS national disability agency made their impact on the government’s public image and lasted several months. Eventually, President Milei proved resilient and managed to claw back his position, recovering part of his drained political capital and ultimately gaining momentum to win last year’s national midterms—with a little help from The Donald in Washington. With Adorni, there is a clear and present danger of irreparable harm – something that even Milei’s Cabinet members have been leaking to the media. There’s reticence to face Javier and Karina about the issue, given the former’s irascibility and the latter’s penchant for vengeance. Enter Patricia Bullrich, the eternal maverick who leads the La Libertad Avanza caucus in the Senate but who early on called on the Cabinet chief to release an updated declaration of his net worth, before later decrying the situation as “more than an error, an ethical omission.” This sudden rapt of ethical and ideological independence – which Bullrich has proven to utilise at the right time to “break” with her political boss to jump from a sinking ship – won her the ire of Karina and her hardcore wing of supporters, yet she remained in charge of crucial negotiations in the Senate to try and save the government’s skin.
While no-one within the government dares to ask for Adorni’s head on a silver platter, the “friendly opposition” is growing increasingly bold about their demands. Mauricio Macri’s PRO party is fundamental for the Milei administration in Congress and its demand that Adorni must go is getting louder. After intense negotiations with the libertarian caucuses in Congress, PRO and its former Juntos por el Cambio allies agreed to give the Casa Rosada a little more time to deal with the Adorni mess, but they expect to hold a Senate session next week (or the following) during which they will grill the Cabinet Chief about his undeclared funds, alongside with hearing his defence of the ongoing state of the Republic. There’s talk about a vote of no confidence to remove Adorni from his post – a rarely used constitutional provision that requires absolute majorities in both chambers of Congress. The Peronist caucuses, led by Kirchnerites who have smelled the blood, will put forward their votes and rhetorical firepower to oust Adorni. But the bloc that responds to Macri and its circumstantial allies would like to avoid voting together with their traditional opponents and give the libertarians the argument that they are singing to the “Kuka” tune. The clock is ticking.
Inside the Casa Rosada, the “iron triangle” – composed of the President, his sister and controversial political advisor Santiago Caputo – put aside their difference and are trying to use the World Cup to their favour. The “culture wars” are ongoing and constant and they are trying to associate Kirchnerism with an anti-Messi and anti-Selección movement. On Thursday, false rumours circulated that Messi’s father Jorge, who is very ill, had passed away. Florencia Peña, a TV-celebrity well-seasoned in gossip and scandal, mistakenly announced the star’s father’s death, a situation that was quickly denied by the Messi family in a press release where they noted their “deep distress regarding the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private family matter.” Peña was quickly fired by her TV show bosses and the libertarian troll army immediately made a supposed connection with Peronism, particularly with former president Alberto Fernández. Milei himself lashed out at Peña, but used the opportunity to lambast journalism as a whole (surprise, surprise). It’s the same strategy he’s used to defend Adorni and his inner circle in previous scandals – in a post-truth world where the information ecosystem is structured around social media, Milei has relied on his star power and delivers constant attacks against anyone who is not aligned with his political project as part of his effective communications strategy. It has worked surprisingly well and is now part of a global political handbook of the 21st-century populist.
The President also spent his days in an ideological and academic debate with none other than Yuval Harari, probably the world’s most popular public intellectual. Harari had responded to Milei’s article in the Financial Times in which he trailed the creation of non-human corporations under the Argentine legal system to unleash the potential of agents powered by artificial intelligence. Picking an intellectual skirmish with one of the world’s best-selling authors is indeed a touch of genius for President Milei, who continues to prove he is deft in the art of communications in the age of the algorithm. Interestingly, he didn’t accuse Harari of being a part of the scum that makes up the caste of those who oppose him ideologically. While Milei is probably genuinely interested in the idea of deregulating Artificial Intelligence while giving non-human corporations legal standing in Argentina, there are few doubts that the art of distraction is in full force, much like with the World Cup and Adorni. It also runs with reports that suggest the President has fully delegated day-to-day political operations to his sister, dedicating himself to macroeconomy and culture wars.
Interestingly, the Milei administration also appeared to move one step closer to approving the acquisition of Telefónica by Telecom, a telecommunications giant owned by media juggernaut Grupo Clarín. Milei had threatened to block Grupo Clarín’s attempt to merge the two companies via ant-trust rules, a curious move for the man who claims there are no market failures and monopolies are good. Yet his battle with Clarín was stronger than his theoretical inclinations. The anti-trust regulator put out a statement indicating it would only approve the deal if it accepted a series of conditions including shedding six million clients, part of the spectrum and grant access to its infrastructure to competitors. Both Milei and Clarín framed the move as part of their ongoing scuffle, yet it could also be part of an initial negotiation in order to reach some sort of common ground. Among those, the government will seek some clemency in Clarín’s coverage, while the media giant will look to consolidate its position as the telecommunications leader. The World Cup is the perfect moment to inform a distracted public that it could be reaching a truce with one of its major antagonists.
There are clear signs of erosion in the public’s approval of Milei and his government. While several macroeconomic indicators are showing positive signs, the persistence of inflation – albeit at a much lower rate than in previous years – and the deterioration of labour market conditions and wages, as well as plummeting consumption, are taking its toll on a society that has endured multiple years of “chainsaw” austerity. The World Cup provides partial reprieve for nearly six weeks, especially if Messi & Co are in it for a deep run. Politics, though, continues its course, and Adorni is coming up to the chopping block. For now, Milei and Sister Karina are refusing to let go. Their strategy of non-stop warfare, even with their allies, will be put to the test.
