From the sublime to the ridiculous

Comparisons are not always odious – the glaring contrast between Lionel Messi’s three awesome goals and the miseries of local politics needs to be taken to heart. While La Scaloneta of the other Lionel efficiently delivers the goods in style, Congress is paralysed at the bottom end of the hemisphere by the deadlock over the continuation of Cabinet Chief Manuel Adorni, blocking vital structural reforms when a year free from electoral pressures is almost half over. This legislative activity is so important that it is almost tempting to blink first – if the Milei siblings are so intent on retaining their toxic asset and seeing their popularity dwindle, well then let them. After all, what difference does this post make if its creator Carlos Menem achieved far more before 1995 without a Cabinet chief than with one? Yet the ethics which President Javier Milei proclaimed as a state policy in his state-of-the-nation speech when opening the ordinary sessions of Congress in March are not so lightly dismissed.

The obstinacy displayed by Milei in clinging to Adorni should not automatically be dismissed as a defect. Argentina has been governed for too long by presidents basing their policies on the opinion polls rather than the country’s long-term future and Milei’s insistence on keeping his eyes on the road ahead has already yielded some positive results in bringing down inflation and country risk – while there are some bumps in that stagnant road such as the figure released this week of almost 26,500 company closures in the first nine quarters of the La Libertad Avanza administration, the medium-term economic prospects remain encouraging. Yet there is a fine line between firm leadership and autistic dogmatism persisting in self-inflicted error and Milei is crossing it in this case.

Adorni’s transgressions have been so minutely documented by multiple media that there should be no need to repeat them here – the confessions are almost as embarrassing as the lies. Some of the criticism is excessive – one report took the Cabinet chief to task for fixing his teeth and when it comes to saving money outside the financial system, most Argentines would be like the Biblical crowd with the woman taken in adultery for casting the first stone. His peccadillos might also seem trifling when measured against the multi-billion corruption of previous administrations with his grim-looking gated community house comparing miserably with the mansions of AFA Argentine Football Association bosses, but enough mud remains to stick.

Yet Milei continues to ignore the glaring evidence, shunning his allies and even the advice of such key members of his inner circle as Senator Patricia Bullrich – oblivious even to opinion poll erosion. This obstinacy could be interpreted as a touching loyalty to those around him were it not for the fact that he has dumped so many of them (already over 200 senior officials and counting). Milei thus demands absolute loyalty from his subordinates ahead of integrity and competence without returning it. The libertarian lion has been so ruthless in dismissing aides (true to the “You’re fired” ethos of his idol Donald Trump) while defending to the last the candidacy of José Luis Espert despite previous drug money funding, promoting Andrés Vázquez to head the ARCA revenue bureau despite his undeclared Miami properties and nominating  the controversial judge Ariel Lijo to the Supreme Court that he can only be described as arbitrary. Perhaps this is the whole point of power for Milei – what he wants ahead of defending his electoral capital or advancing his reforms, never mind his responsibilities to the citizenry.

The Adorni case is unprecedented in Argentine politics – in the past countless ministers have been sacrificed to protect the President but now presidential popularity is being laid on the line to save a minister.  This bizarre inversion of priorities might also baffle many overseas investors, asking themselves about the decision-making procedures, the values and even the survival prospects of Argentina’s potentially self-destructive President, however much his consistent adherence to pro-market policies might gratify them. Adorni thus becomes a pebble in the shoe which could infect, given time.

Never too late for Milei to place institutional responsibility above his personal wishes, to listen to public opinion and to show a capacity to correct errors. But until then, better not to bore readers any further with this sorry saga and let them enjoy the World Cup over the next month.