When he returns from the United States at the weekend, economist Carlos Melconian has a key meeting: Patricia Bullrich, the presidential candidate for the opposition Juntos por el Cambio coalition, will be waiting for him.
Melconian, 66, has been working on an economic mega-project for Argentina that includes tax reform, labour reform, pension reform and a major reform of the state.
Although, via his Fundación Mediterránea think-tank, he has been touring the entire political spectrum – he even met with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – in recent months he has become increasingly closer to the former national security minister.
In this context, Melconian has all the numbers he needs to become Argentina’s next economy minister, should Bullrich win the race to reach the Casa Rosada.
When the International Monetary Fund asked to speak with the economic leaders of each space in the wake of the APSO primaries, Luciano Laspina (who today coordinates Bullrich's brand new economic round-table) and Melconian himself were the ones who spoke of plans on behalf of the candidate.
In this context, Bullrich would’ve offered Laspina the chance to head the Central Bank. The Santa Fe Province lawmaker, however, believes that the ideal answer is that the next Treasury chief has control of all economic areas at the same time and that there is no segmentation as happened, for example, during the Mauricio Macri Presidency
For now, Bullrich the candidate has outlined that she has these two options for the economy role and an announcement is likely next week. First Melconian has to set foot back on Argentine soil – and it could come soon after that.
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