A new change is coming in the national cabinet. President Alberto Fernández is currently evaluating who could be the new minister of social development as the current one, Juan Zabaleta, seeks to leave office to return to the Hurlingham administration. It so happens that when he became the holder of the portfolio – on 10 August last year, replacing Daniel Arroyo -, Zabaleta had to take leave in his municipality and Hurlingham, after intense negotiations, was left in charge of Damien Selsi – members of La Campora, a group to which the minister does not belong—with which he has strained relations.
The mayor on leave, who currently holds executive positions like Zabaleta, insisted in a conversation with this newspaper that “this is not a collective strategy” and that he does not plan to abruptly give up all of his positions. Huh. Along these lines, he said that “the gambler has a special position.” However, immediately, they do not rule out that many of them may have to return to their municipalities for elections next year.
On the part of the government, some think that “it would be a shame if Zabaleta left because he was organizing things well”, but they reflect that “the mayor never stops being mayor”. . The tension will be to see who replaces him as social development is a ministry with many complexities and bids for power within it. These days, while the versions are mounting, Ariel Suzarchuk, the current secretary of the knowledge economy and former mayor, has come to the fore as a possible replacement for Zabaleta, but this is only one version and he in government remembers that for a short while. He was first included in his team by the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa. In fact, nothing is defined yet.
The leaders of the Buenos Aires province told this newspaper that several weeks ago Zabaleta had expressed his desire to return to the municipality and that he is upset with La Campora, because what they say is they did not comply with certain agreements from the group when the minister. left the Quartermaster in the hands of Selsie. Along these lines, he believed that “he has a right to return because the people have chosen him,” and that the situation would cause resentment, but he did not believe it was anything serious. Martín Insoralde, the mayor of Lomas de Zamora, on leave and the current Buenos Aires Chief of Staff, meanwhile, has not expressed his desire to return to the district for the time being, although those who know him say that “it is legitimate.” And eventually there is the possibility that he will be the mayor’s candidate.” ,
A current mayor of Buenos Aires confirmed in conversation with this newspaper that “there may be many ministers and leaders next year who will return to their administration to guarantee victory in the elections in their districts.” Along these lines, he reflected that many mayors of the suburbs who took leave to occupy positions in various executive powers – the case of Insauralde or the national ministers of public works, Gabriel Katopodis, who left San Martín and Jorge Ferraresi. Tha, who took leave in Avellaneda to occupy the position of Minister of Regional Development and Habitat – he has someone on his team in the mayor’s office and that separates him from the situation that Zabaleta is experiencing. However, they also recognize that at times “people refer to them and not to their replacements.” For this reason, he says, “no matter how much the municipality may be in the hands of someone from its area, if we are to achieve a significant victory in the province and which shakes the ammeter in the national election, we must return.” . ,
Another possibility, beyond his concern about the absence of anyone from his team controlling Hurlingham and the problems that may arise for Zabaleta, is that Minister Fernández is disillusioned with management within the government. Beyond the logistical inconveniences that public function often generates, and in sensitive departments such as social development, Zabaleta was at some point delusional that a “regional peronism” could be created, going hand-in-hand with President Alberto Fernández, and Other social actors, such as the CGT and social movements, argue that it has an “independent” current or that it disputes power with Kirchnerism. That eventually never materialized and would now have a letter to return to fight in the province.
