In the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) they are going through an identity conflict, from which they try to escape by giving more prominence to the future litter, of young people. Most of the industrialists had no affinity with the Mauricio Macri administration and believed that better times would come with the Frente de Todos. However, now they are paralyzed by constant problems getting dollars to pay for supplies.. And, once again, the majority feel uncomfortable with the government. There is a crack that cannot be seen and it is in the middle macristi and massisti.
During dozens of exhibitions, the industrial entity has tried to “jump the gap” and promote long-term growth proposals, outside the political debate. That didn’t stop the industrialists from treating the current Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa, and the Secretary of Production, José Ignacio de Mendiguren, in a better way than Mauricio Macri in November 2019, when he said goodbye to the national executive. .
After the introductions by the officials, a group of businessmen – traditionally the most Kirchnerist of the entity – were seen cheering and guard both Massa and De Mendiguren (who was president of the UIA). The minister excited them with some openly capitalist definitions (“I believe in companies, they are the only ones that can generate employment”), of those that do not characterize the official discourse, perhaps with Massa as an exception.
“You have to give Sergio a chance (Mass). He is the only one in the coalition who can take over the reins so that the situation does not get out of control ”, the industrialists commented among themselves and also outside. The former chief of staff and former deputy appears to continue to have open credits in this segment.
“With (Matías) Kulfas – former Minister of Production – and (Ariel) Schale – former Secretary of Industry – we were better off. They understood the industrial fabric and helped unlock exports. But the thing was complicated after their departure, due to the leadership internships experienced by the government ”, reasoned two executives, with the microphone off.
On stage, the industrialists went from governors (Sergio Uñac, Gerardo Morales) to trade unionists. Héctor Daer, general secretary of the CGT, opened his exhibition criticize the opposition proposals (“I’m not here to propose or lower taxes or remove labor rights”), he admitted he “hardly talks about prices” – with inflation around 100% – but he remembered to criticize Macri (“they told us that inflation resolved in 10 minutes).
Funes de Rioja, in his capacity as head of the UIA, is constant witness to the tensions between businessmen who support the government, and those who are already a little tired of obstacles, traps and not being able to plan a sale Until the parties arrive. The consensus seems to be to give way to younger people. At night, they closed the meeting with an “after hour” with music and food (skewers, sushi, hot dog in chipá bread, hamburger), to relax the discussion.
Although the UIA requires “changes to the political class” so that there is no more crack and a “growth plan” for 2030 appears, there are also some repetitions of its own that are striking. In November 2012 De Mendiguren – who was at the head of the UIA – complained because the “the development train goes by again and we don’t take it“. Ten years later, he insisted on this “I don’t want the development train to go through and find ourselves fighting on the platform ”. Ten years later, it seems he hasn’t gotten what he wanted with either the UIA or the political space he is a part of.
Most industrialists on Thursday morning listened to Matías Tombolini, Secretary of Commerce, with his plan to freeze prices for 4 months. “It is true that it is not an optimal scenario, but we must understand it”, they justified in a food. In another, still in a low voice, they indicated “more or less the same”.
Source: Clarin
