Despite previously calling for neutrality within Junto por el Cambio (JxC), former president Mauricio Macri said he supports JxC presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich’s idea of a “deep and swift change,” while expressing “differences” with Buenos Aires city mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the other opposing coalition candidate, who has said that such change should come through negotiations. 

Macri had previously asked that members of the opposition coalition remain neutral and not publicly support either candidate, in an attempt to show unity ahead of the primary elections. Both Larreta and Bullrich are members of PRO, one of JxC’s largest parties, and will compete on August 13 to see who wins the presidential nomination for the October 22 elections. 

“When you listen to them and what they want to achieve, there are many coincidences. The difference is in how” they want to do that, Macri said Monday night during a TV interview with TN news station.

“Patricia believes, rightfully, that people are more open to change than they were in 2015. Horacio thinks the same, that Argentines are more determined to support a deep, swift and clear change, which I believe in,” the former president said.

Macri said that while Bullrich thinks JxC’s current Congress numbers (45% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 43% in the Senate) are enough to “start an immediate and deep change,” Larreta believes they also need support from other parties. “He thinks he can negotiate.”

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“That’s where I have differences with him. My experience tells me that it would be difficult for those who were and still are responsible of Argentina’s decadence to willingly collaborate with a change that starts with them losing their privileges,” Macri said, referring to the current administration and the “inheritance” JxC will receive if they win the elections, either with Larreta or Bullrich’s ballot.

“We can’t subject Argentina’s change to them being on board or not,” Macri said.

Without explicitly stating it, Macri also seemed to back Bullrich’s proposal of eliminating currency controls — known as cepo — as soon as her government starts, should she be elected. “We can’t be afraid of lifting the cepo. If there’s cepo, Argentina won’t be able to start. But we can’t just settle for eliminating it. This deep, swift and clear change that Argentina has to go through is global.”

“We will deregulate the economy again, like we did during my term. Eliminate distortive taxes, generate a trust shock,” he said.

Larreta says he would progressively eliminate export duties and currency controls if elected, but not immediately, like Bullrich has said.

Macri also dismissed the importance of the tensions between the candidates, saying that primaries in the United States are “one-hundred times harsher than ours” in terms of infighting.

While he refused to say who he will vote for, Macri insisted that, in his view, Argentina needs a “fast and consistent change.” However, he said that no matter who wins, all of JxC will be a team.

JxC and a pledge for unity

Macri’s comments in favor of Bullrich’s ideas come five days after he criticized JxC National Deputy and former Buenos Aires province governor María Eugenia Vidal for publicly backing Larreta. He tweeted that he did not intend to “question” Vidal and her freedom to back a candidate, but said that she “did not keep her word” to remain neutral.

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On Monday afternoon, Larreta, Bullrich, Macri and his cousin Jorge Macri took a picture together to show unity ahead of the primaries and back the latter’s Buenos Aires mayor candidacy.

Larreta and Bullrich will even wait for the results together on August 13.

After a meeting with Macri, Larreta and Bullrich, Jorge Macri said it’s not easy to take a unity photo, because there’s competition between them, but he said he felt “harmony” between them.Jorge Macri (PRO) will be competing against National Senator Martín Lousteau (Evolución Radical) in the city’s JxC primaries.