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| Argentina: thousands gather to hear Cristina Fernández's parting shots | Argentina: thousands gather to hear Cristina Fernández's parting shots |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| With a massive turnout of teary-eyed crowds who filled the wide Plaza de Mayo square and overflowed down its adjoining avenues, Argentina bid farewell on Wednesday evening to its outgoing president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, perhaps the country’s best-loved leader since the return of democracy 32 years ago. | With a massive turnout of teary-eyed crowds who filled the wide Plaza de Mayo square and overflowed down its adjoining avenues, Argentina bid farewell on Wednesday evening to its outgoing president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, perhaps the country’s best-loved leader since the return of democracy 32 years ago. |
| But as Argentina prepared to complete a tetchy handover on Thursday to the former Buenos Aires mayor, Mauricio Macri, supporters were already calling for her to come back and preparing for the political battles to follow succession. | |
| “We will return, we will return,” chanted the tightly-packed wall of supporters outside the Casa Rosada presidential palace. Many of them carried placards reading “Cristina 2019”, expressing the hope that Fernández might compete for a third term. | “We will return, we will return,” chanted the tightly-packed wall of supporters outside the Casa Rosada presidential palace. Many of them carried placards reading “Cristina 2019”, expressing the hope that Fernández might compete for a third term. |
| Having already served twice, the leftwing leader was constitutionally barred from running in this year’s contest, which was won by Macri of the centre-right Cambiemos alliance. | Having already served twice, the leftwing leader was constitutionally barred from running in this year’s contest, which was won by Macri of the centre-right Cambiemos alliance. |
| The pro-business politician is expected to steer Argentina away from the populist economics of Fernández and the alliances she wove with countries such as Russia, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela. He has said he will seek to restore former close ties with the US and Europe. | The pro-business politician is expected to steer Argentina away from the populist economics of Fernández and the alliances she wove with countries such as Russia, Cuba, Iran and Venezuela. He has said he will seek to restore former close ties with the US and Europe. |
| Related: 'I'm hoping for better things to come': readers' views on Argentina's future | Related: 'I'm hoping for better things to come': readers' views on Argentina's future |
| Behind the thick walls of the Casa Rosada, the massive “Pink House” facing the historic square from which she ruled Argentina for the last eight years, Fernández’s last act as president was to unveil a bust of her late husband, Néstor Kirchner, who preceded her in office in 2003 and stepped aside to let her become president in 2007 before dying of heart failure three years later. | Behind the thick walls of the Casa Rosada, the massive “Pink House” facing the historic square from which she ruled Argentina for the last eight years, Fernández’s last act as president was to unveil a bust of her late husband, Néstor Kirchner, who preceded her in office in 2003 and stepped aside to let her become president in 2007 before dying of heart failure three years later. |
| The Kirchners formed an unbeatable presidential tandem for 12 years, dividing Argentina between passionate supporters and ardent opponents of their “national and popular” brand of government. Fernández’s sendoff was typically passionate. | The Kirchners formed an unbeatable presidential tandem for 12 years, dividing Argentina between passionate supporters and ardent opponents of their “national and popular” brand of government. Fernández’s sendoff was typically passionate. |
| “I think she’s exceptional, a brilliant woman,” said schoolteacher Alicia Testai, who joined the throng on the Avenida de Mayo. | “I think she’s exceptional, a brilliant woman,” said schoolteacher Alicia Testai, who joined the throng on the Avenida de Mayo. |
| With her marched Lea Braslavsky, an engineer who worked with the World Bank in Washington DC for 30 years but returned to Argentina after the Kirchners came to power. “It was a dream what was happening, how the country was able to stand on its feet again, the distribution of wealth, the empowerment of the people,” Braslavsky said. | With her marched Lea Braslavsky, an engineer who worked with the World Bank in Washington DC for 30 years but returned to Argentina after the Kirchners came to power. “It was a dream what was happening, how the country was able to stand on its feet again, the distribution of wealth, the empowerment of the people,” Braslavsky said. |
| A loud roar arose from the giant crowd as Fernández emerged from the Casa Rosada to speak from a stage erected in front of the square. “I can’t talk long because I turn into a pumpkin at midnight,” Fernández joked. | A loud roar arose from the giant crowd as Fernández emerged from the Casa Rosada to speak from a stage erected in front of the square. “I can’t talk long because I turn into a pumpkin at midnight,” Fernández joked. |
| The president was referring to a last-minute judicial injunction obtained by Macri that ruled her term over at midnight, instead of at noon on the day of the handover, as had traditionally been the case. | The president was referring to a last-minute judicial injunction obtained by Macri that ruled her term over at midnight, instead of at noon on the day of the handover, as had traditionally been the case. |
| The court order was the climax of a tense buildup to Thursday’s inauguration, which has at times resembled a soap opera more than an orderly democratic transition. During the unseemly feud, Fernández claimed she felt verbally abused as a woman in a heated phone argument with Macri over the inauguration arrangements. | The court order was the climax of a tense buildup to Thursday’s inauguration, which has at times resembled a soap opera more than an orderly democratic transition. During the unseemly feud, Fernández claimed she felt verbally abused as a woman in a heated phone argument with Macri over the inauguration arrangements. |
| Macri had wanted Fernández to present him the traditional silver-capped presidential baton at the Casa Rosada, as was the custom up until the 2003. Fernández refused, insisting she would only hand over the ceremonial staff during his inauguration at the Congress building, as has been the custom for the last three presidential handovers. | Macri had wanted Fernández to present him the traditional silver-capped presidential baton at the Casa Rosada, as was the custom up until the 2003. Fernández refused, insisting she would only hand over the ceremonial staff during his inauguration at the Congress building, as has been the custom for the last three presidential handovers. |
| Had Macri accepted the outgoing president’s proposal, he would have been deprived of what he hopes will be a triumphant ride in an open convertible down the 10 blocks from Congress after his inauguration to receive the baton in the Casa Rosada. | Had Macri accepted the outgoing president’s proposal, he would have been deprived of what he hopes will be a triumphant ride in an open convertible down the 10 blocks from Congress after his inauguration to receive the baton in the Casa Rosada. |
| Macri may also have been fearful that the Fernánadez would have received louder cheers in Congress because her FPV party has more legislators. | Macri may also have been fearful that the Fernánadez would have received louder cheers in Congress because her FPV party has more legislators. |
| Negotiations over the transition ceremony finally collapsed after an angry Fernández fired off a cascade of tweets accusing Macri of screaming at her during a phone argument they had about the arrangements. | Negotiations over the transition ceremony finally collapsed after an angry Fernández fired off a cascade of tweets accusing Macri of screaming at her during a phone argument they had about the arrangements. |
| “I must confess I was surprised by the president-elect’s exalted verbiage, a euphemism for screams,” Fernández tweeted. “To the point that at one moment I had to remind him that, beyond our posts in office, he was a man and I a woman, and that it was out of place from him to treat me like that.” | “I must confess I was surprised by the president-elect’s exalted verbiage, a euphemism for screams,” Fernández tweeted. “To the point that at one moment I had to remind him that, beyond our posts in office, he was a man and I a woman, and that it was out of place from him to treat me like that.” |
| The phonecall, which Macri has not commented on, proved the last straw for the already brittle relationship between the two. “I thought, that’s as far as my love goes,” Fernández tweeted. | The phonecall, which Macri has not commented on, proved the last straw for the already brittle relationship between the two. “I thought, that’s as far as my love goes,” Fernández tweeted. |
| Fernández was finally prevented from having the final say in the handover process when the court ended her term 12 hours ahead of time, with the unusual gap being filled by Federico Pinedo, the acting president of the Senate from Macri’s Cambiemos alliance, who will now hand the baton to his party boss at the Casa Rosada as Macri wished. | Fernández was finally prevented from having the final say in the handover process when the court ended her term 12 hours ahead of time, with the unusual gap being filled by Federico Pinedo, the acting president of the Senate from Macri’s Cambiemos alliance, who will now hand the baton to his party boss at the Casa Rosada as Macri wished. |
| The squabbling between the two even descended to who gets to keep the Casa Rosada’s official Twitter account. The account was changed on Wednesday to “Casa Rosada 2003-2015, a Twitter tribute to presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Kirchner” in an attempt by Fernández to prevent it from being turned over to Macri’s administration. | The squabbling between the two even descended to who gets to keep the Casa Rosada’s official Twitter account. The account was changed on Wednesday to “Casa Rosada 2003-2015, a Twitter tribute to presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Kirchner” in an attempt by Fernández to prevent it from being turned over to Macri’s administration. |
| No fue magia... fue mágico. pic.twitter.com/xKYKpIo0Fh | No fue magia... fue mágico. pic.twitter.com/xKYKpIo0Fh |
| Press reports in Argentina, however, indicated that Twitter could turn over the account to the new government instead. | Press reports in Argentina, however, indicated that Twitter could turn over the account to the new government instead. |
| Once all-powerful, with approval ratings that peaked over 70% at times, it is unlikely that Fernández will fade quietly from public view. The massive farewell salute from her followers, unlike any known for an outgoing president in Argentina before, suggests she may not have to. | Once all-powerful, with approval ratings that peaked over 70% at times, it is unlikely that Fernández will fade quietly from public view. The massive farewell salute from her followers, unlike any known for an outgoing president in Argentina before, suggests she may not have to. |
| “History isn’t written with a ruler, a carpenter’s square or with a compass, it is not a straight line, it is an undulating line that sometimes seems to move backwards,” Fernández said with reference to Macri’s victory, which is seen by her and her supporters as a threat to the social programmes and progressive policies of her administration. | “History isn’t written with a ruler, a carpenter’s square or with a compass, it is not a straight line, it is an undulating line that sometimes seems to move backwards,” Fernández said with reference to Macri’s victory, which is seen by her and her supporters as a threat to the social programmes and progressive policies of her administration. |
| Braslavsky, standing in the Plaza de Mayo to bid her cherished leader farewell, has no fear Fernández will be gone too long. “Look at all the people here today, that’s how we know she will be back four years from now,” she said smiling. | Braslavsky, standing in the Plaza de Mayo to bid her cherished leader farewell, has no fear Fernández will be gone too long. “Look at all the people here today, that’s how we know she will be back four years from now,” she said smiling. |