We need an orderly transition

Before the first results of the scrutiny were known, Sergio Massa informed the country that Javier Milei would be the next president. It is an unprecedented gesture in 40 years of democracy.

Just two hours after the close of the elections, Massa had already personally contacted Milei, as he stated in his speech, to congratulate him on his victory. “Argentina has a strong democratic system that respects the results,” he said. In this way, a basic principle of the democratic system was fulfilled: the loser has to accept the result and, thus, legitimize the victory of his opponent. It is the ethic of defeat.

However, the following passage of Massa’s speech was quite ambiguous, when what was required was clarity and rationality. “Tomorrow’s responsibility to convey certainty lies with the president-elect. We have raised it with the president-elect and the president of the Nation so that the transition begins tomorrow,” he said.

Almost two hours later, Milei, in his speech, seemed to respond, when he asked the Government “to be responsible, to understand that a new Argentina has arrived and to act accordingly.” Therefore, he demanded that all members of the Government “take charge of their responsibility until the end of the mandate” so that, when he takes office on December 10, he can “begin to transform this tragic reality for millions of Argentines.” .

In other words, while Massa tried to separate himself from the transition and leave it in the hands of Alberto Fernández, at the same time that he offloaded responsibility for the future of the crisis in the announcements that Milei made from then on, the president-elect reminded him that even On the morning of December 10, Peronism is responsible for the direction of the country.

It was not just a matter of discursive nuances or biased interpretations. On Sunday night, a cable from the Noticias Argentinas agency raised the possibility that Massa would leave the Ministry of Economy without resigning, which would cloud the three short weeks that the transition between one government and the next will last.

Then, the central difference became clear: Massa, as he understands that Milei could ask for certain measures to be taken in these weeks, refuses to collaborate and leaves the scene. He prefers to return government decision-making power to President Fernández.

In any case, what the country needs is an orderly transition and institutional respect. There is no time for pettiness. As Milei said in his speech on Sunday, the economic and social situation is critical. The majority of Argentines opted in the runoff for their program in favor of drastic changes, which include, among other topics, a profound reform of the State, a new conceptual framework in the area of ​​security and a strong commercial opening.

Argentina has experienced presidential transitions in which the winner, before taking office, sought to destabilize the loser. It would be unheard of for the current authorities to try the opposite path. Without hesitation, they must collaborate with the objectives of the future government during the transition. It is another basic principle of democracy.