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| Argentina’s New President Sworn In at Ceremony Snubbed by Predecessor | Argentina’s New President Sworn In at Ceremony Snubbed by Predecessor |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BUENOS AIRES — Mauricio Macri was sworn in as president of Argentina on Thursday in a ceremony that was boycotted by his predecessor, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, after a bitter argument over how and where to hold it. | BUENOS AIRES — Mauricio Macri was sworn in as president of Argentina on Thursday in a ceremony that was boycotted by his predecessor, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, after a bitter argument over how and where to hold it. |
| At the close of an often-divisive eight-year presidency, Mrs. Kirchner appeared to be trying to complicate the transition to Mr. Macri, making a string of controversial moves during her last days in office. But few people in Argentina thought she would go as far as refusing to appear in person to hand over power, and the operatic twist gripped the nation’s attention. | At the close of an often-divisive eight-year presidency, Mrs. Kirchner appeared to be trying to complicate the transition to Mr. Macri, making a string of controversial moves during her last days in office. But few people in Argentina thought she would go as far as refusing to appear in person to hand over power, and the operatic twist gripped the nation’s attention. |
| “It’s an embarrassment; we don’t deserve it,” said Daniel Asasme, 48, a general contractor. “This transition should be for the good of democracy.” | “It’s an embarrassment; we don’t deserve it,” said Daniel Asasme, 48, a general contractor. “This transition should be for the good of democracy.” |
| In his inaugural speech, Mr. Macri appealed for unity and a new political culture. “Confrontation has taken us down the wrong paths,” he said, “We have to remove conflict from the center of the stage and replace it with meeting points.” Insisting that Argentines could overcome the country’s political polarization, he added: “If we Argentines dare to unite, we will be unstoppable.” | In his inaugural speech, Mr. Macri appealed for unity and a new political culture. “Confrontation has taken us down the wrong paths,” he said, “We have to remove conflict from the center of the stage and replace it with meeting points.” Insisting that Argentines could overcome the country’s political polarization, he added: “If we Argentines dare to unite, we will be unstoppable.” |
| Mr. Macri, 56, won the election last month with a largely noncombative campaign that appealed to many Argentines’ desire for a less fractious style of politics. | Mr. Macri, 56, won the election last month with a largely noncombative campaign that appealed to many Argentines’ desire for a less fractious style of politics. |
| On Thursday morning, Mr. Macri made his way in a white sport-utility vehicle, escorted by guards on horseback, from his home here to the congressional palace for the formal swearing-in. | On Thursday morning, Mr. Macri made his way in a white sport-utility vehicle, escorted by guards on horseback, from his home here to the congressional palace for the formal swearing-in. |
| Historically, that ceremony was followed by a second one at the presidential palace, where the transfer of power was symbolized by the outgoing president placing a sash on his or her successor and handing over an ornate baton. In recent years, though, that ceremony, too, was held at the Congress. | Historically, that ceremony was followed by a second one at the presidential palace, where the transfer of power was symbolized by the outgoing president placing a sash on his or her successor and handing over an ornate baton. In recent years, though, that ceremony, too, was held at the Congress. |
| Mr. Macri preferred to revert to the traditional system, but Mrs. Kirchner wanted to stick to the more recent practice, and pressed the point sharply. | Mr. Macri preferred to revert to the traditional system, but Mrs. Kirchner wanted to stick to the more recent practice, and pressed the point sharply. |
| The two sides argued over whether Article 93 of the Argentine constitution, which calls for the president to be sworn in before Congress, governed the handover ceremony as well, and over who had the final say in the matter. | The two sides argued over whether Article 93 of the Argentine constitution, which calls for the president to be sworn in before Congress, governed the handover ceremony as well, and over who had the final say in the matter. |
| Mrs. Kirchner wrote in a post on her website on Sunday that “Dec. 10 is not his birthday party.” She also noted one of her objections to holding the two ceremonies separately: she was in a hurry to leave the capital and get to Patagonia to see her sister-in-law, Alicia Kirchner, sworn in as a state governor there. | Mrs. Kirchner wrote in a post on her website on Sunday that “Dec. 10 is not his birthday party.” She also noted one of her objections to holding the two ceremonies separately: she was in a hurry to leave the capital and get to Patagonia to see her sister-in-law, Alicia Kirchner, sworn in as a state governor there. |
| Claiming that she had actually been facilitating the transition, Mrs. Kirchner wrote that she had ordered the flower beds at the presidential residence to be reseeded for the new tenant. | Claiming that she had actually been facilitating the transition, Mrs. Kirchner wrote that she had ordered the flower beds at the presidential residence to be reseeded for the new tenant. |
| But Mr. Macri moved to curb Mrs. Kirchner. He obtained an injunction from a judge, ruling that her term ended at midnight Wednesday, rather than at midday on Thursday, meaning that she would have no official authority over the ceremony. His supporters gathered outside Mr. Macri’s home at midnight and celebratory shouts rang out across the city. | But Mr. Macri moved to curb Mrs. Kirchner. He obtained an injunction from a judge, ruling that her term ended at midnight Wednesday, rather than at midday on Thursday, meaning that she would have no official authority over the ceremony. His supporters gathered outside Mr. Macri’s home at midnight and celebratory shouts rang out across the city. |
| Mrs. Kirchner responded to the move by refusing to attend the swearing-in; to show solidarity with her, a number of lawmakers did the same. | Mrs. Kirchner responded to the move by refusing to attend the swearing-in; to show solidarity with her, a number of lawmakers did the same. |
| In the end, Federico Pinedo, a lawmaker in Mr. Macri’s party, served as acting president between midnight and noon on Thursday, and it was he who placed the sash over Mr. Macri and handed him the baton at the presidential palace, as regional leaders looked on. From a balcony of the palace, Mr. Macri then spoke, and briefly danced, before the crowds gathered in the plaza outside. | In the end, Federico Pinedo, a lawmaker in Mr. Macri’s party, served as acting president between midnight and noon on Thursday, and it was he who placed the sash over Mr. Macri and handed him the baton at the presidential palace, as regional leaders looked on. From a balcony of the palace, Mr. Macri then spoke, and briefly danced, before the crowds gathered in the plaza outside. |
| Mrs. Kirchner delivered a farewell speech to her supporters in the same plaza on Wednesday night. Positioning herself as an unyielding opposition leader, she accused Mr. Macri of using arguments over the ceremony to distract attention from his plans for major changes in economic policy. Though she was barred by the Constitution from running this year for a third consecutive term, she is free to run again in 2019, and many of her supporters hope she will. | Mrs. Kirchner delivered a farewell speech to her supporters in the same plaza on Wednesday night. Positioning herself as an unyielding opposition leader, she accused Mr. Macri of using arguments over the ceremony to distract attention from his plans for major changes in economic policy. Though she was barred by the Constitution from running this year for a third consecutive term, she is free to run again in 2019, and many of her supporters hope she will. |
| Tensions over the transition were reflected even in the management of the presidential palace’s official Twitter feed. It was renamed “2003-2015,” for the years Mrs. Kirchner’s political movement was in power, and it was evidently still in her supporters’ hands on Thursday, when it included posts hinting that Mr. Macri had little support among Argentines. It has since been made unofficial. | |
| Pointing to what has widely been viewed as political gamesmanship over the swearing-in ceremony, Carlos Pagni, a political commentator, wrote in the newspaper La Nación on Thursday that Mrs. Kirchner’s decision to stay away had an “ideological dimension.” | Pointing to what has widely been viewed as political gamesmanship over the swearing-in ceremony, Carlos Pagni, a political commentator, wrote in the newspaper La Nación on Thursday that Mrs. Kirchner’s decision to stay away had an “ideological dimension.” |
| “Cristina Kirchner proposes maintaining the polarization that she and her husband engraved into public life in the last 12 years,” he said, referring to Néstor Kirchner, who preceded Mrs. Kirchner as president; he died in 2010, during her first term. | “Cristina Kirchner proposes maintaining the polarization that she and her husband engraved into public life in the last 12 years,” he said, referring to Néstor Kirchner, who preceded Mrs. Kirchner as president; he died in 2010, during her first term. |