Amid swirling electoral negotiations across Argentina’s political coalitions, Vice President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner called for politicians to focus on representation and dialogue specifically regarding the country’s debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“This is where the Unión por la Patria (‘Homeland Union’) comes in. Whatever Argentines’ political or ideological perspective, we have the imperious need for a political model to end the bi-monetary economy and that will allow us to have a single, uniform, national, and patriotic position against those who try to impose austerity programs on us,” Kirchner said.

“It’s important to understand the need to propose agreements to society. That demands a great responsibility of everyone and the recovery of political representation,” Kirchner said. “That when someone is voted in, that people to know why they are voting for them and that that vote is honored in a legislative seat or in the Casa Rosada.”

She was referring to the newly-renamed Unión por la Patria (formerly Frente de Todos) and made several remarks on some of the tensions within the ruling coalition. It was the first time that she gave a speech since the name change earlier this week.

“The whole discussion as to whether or not we should go to the PASO [primaries] or have a single candidate when one has the responsibility to govern — at least when I was president it was about the responsibility to govern and having as little conflict as possible,” she said. “But that’s my view.”

Over a dozen governors met last week and called for a single candidate for this year’s PASO elections. A schism within the ruling coalition over whether or not there should be multiple candidates — some see it as healthy competition while others consider that it would show weakness in a tough electoral year. There are particular concerns about votes being thinly distributed among multiple Peronist candidates compared to ultra-right-wing candidate Javier Milei who almost single-handedly represents his political party.

The vice president was speaking in Santa Cruz province at the inauguration of a new annex of the Río Gallegos Regional Hospital. Her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, was the governor of Santa Cruz prior to becoming president — his sister, Alicia Kirchner, is the province’s incumbent and was present at the inauguration.

“It’s necessary that we push forward dialogue between all the political forces to address the terrible issue of our debt with the IMF,” the vice president said. “It’s Argentina’s main problem. We did not bring it.”

This is not the first time that Kirchner has spoken about the IMF debt but she did make some barbed comments about her own administration allegedly telling her that “everything is under control” when she raised concerns. In March 2022, Argentina signed an agreement renegotiating the US$ 44 billion debt former President Mauricio Macri acquired in 2018. The deal includes an economic program with certain targets that are currently being renegotiated by the Economy Ministry.

“We need to solve the lack of dollars in Argentina not only to pay the IMF but also so that industry, innovation, and technology can function,” Kirchner said. “Does anybody believe that we’re going to pay these loans just by selling commodities? Do you seriously believe that?”

Kirchner also commented that she “did not believe” President Alberto Fernández read a book that she given him a while ago — “Diary of a season on the fifth floor” by Juan Carlos Torre.