When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Argentina

Dynasty In Argentina: Is Maximo Kirchner Bound To Follow Dad, Mom Into Presidency?

The Kirchners – first Néstor and then his wife, Cristina Fernández – have occupied Argentina’s Casa Rosada presidential palace since 2003. Could son Maximo, a rising political star, keep the family in power beyond 2016, when Cristina’s second term ends?

Maximo and Cristina Kirchner at the 2010 funeral of Nestor Kirchner (Wikipedia)
Maximo and Cristina Kirchner at the 2010 funeral of Nestor Kirchner (Wikipedia)
Christine Legrand

BUENOS AIRES– He cultivates a low profile, doesn't give interviews and never speaks in public. And yet Maximo Kirchner, 34, the eldest son of the Argentine president, is considered to be his mother's right-hand man. President Cristina Kirchner has admitted that Maximo "has always been her favorite," and her daughter, Florencia, 21, her late husband's favorite.

Since the death in 2010 of Néstor Kirchner, late husband of Cristina and president from 2003 to 2007, Maximo has appeared increasingly at Mrs. Kirchner's side, apparently filling the void left by his father, who governed in partnership with his wife. Though he has a larger build than his late father, Maximo has inherited Néstor Kirchner's gaze and casual dress sense, which contrasts with his mother's luxurious tastes.

Maximo first entered politics back in 2003, when he launched a youth movement to support the Kirchner government. The movement is called La Cámpora, after Hector Cámpora, a left-wing president elected in 1973. Cámpora was a supporter of Gen. Juan Domingo Perón, who had been exiled 18 years earlier. Campora resigned 49 days after being elected, clearing a path for Perón – upon returning from exile – to be elected with 62% of votes.

In the wake of Néstor Kirchner's death, La Cámpora mobilized hundreds of demonstrators, assuring his widow of their unconditional support. For her second term, Cristina Kirchner has placed her trust in this new generation: her cabinet chief, Juan Manuel Abal Medina, 43, is the nephew of one of the founders of Montoneros, the Peronist guerrilla group in the 60s and 70s. He is the son of one of Perón's closest representatives. The president's deputy ministers of the economy and justice also hail from the La Cámpora movement.

La Cámpora currently holds eight seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Argentine National Congress, and more than 20 seats in regional legislative councils. Many of the La Cámpora militants work for government ministries or head public companies, such as Aerolineas Argentinas, a state run airline. The support Kirchner has received from the next generation has provoked tensions with the Confederación General de Trabajo (CGT) trade union. Hugo Moyano, director of the CGT, called La Cámpora's members a bunch of "rich kids."

"A smart kid"

Anibal Fernandez, senator and ex-cabinet chief for the Kirchners, brushes off the idea that Maximo enjoys "growing influence" in public affairs, describing him instead as "a smart kid, an activist who has earned the right to give his opinion and who is in charge of a movement that includes lots of remarkable politicians."

After abandoning his law studies, Maximo settled in Río Gallegos, the capital of the Santa Cruz region in the south of Argentina and his father's home town. From there he administers the family fortune. He travels to Buenos Aires regularly to meet with Cristina's inner circle of advisors, and continues to oversee the running of La Cámpora from behind the scenes.

Rumors suggest he doesn't have a good relationship with the vice-president, Amado Boudou. Maximo's hermit-esque nature clashes with the joviality of this ex-minister of the economy. Boudou, 50, is of French descent and was quite conservative in his youth, but now likes to give the impression he's a rocker: playing the guitar in meetings and riding a Harley Davidson.

Recently, Boudou had to assume a far more hands-on role, replacing the president while she recovered from a Jan. 4 thyroid operation. In late December Cristina Kirchner was mistakenly diagnosed with cancer. She resumed her position earlier this week.

The Argentine Constitution prevents Cristina Kirchner, who was reelected last October, from setting her sights on a third consecutive term. Argentina's next presidential election is set for 2015. Some in the media, however, are already speculating about the possibility that Maximo could run in the 2013 general elections, using this as a springboard to the presidency. Only time will tell whether Argentines really do like to keep everything in the family.

Read more from Le Monde in French

Photo – Wikipedia

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

How Vulnerable Are The Russians In Crimea?

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on the occupied Crimean peninsula, and Russia is doing all within its power to deny how vulnerable it has become.

Photograph of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters with smoke rising above it after a Ukrainian missile strike.

September 22, 2023, Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia: Smoke rises over the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters after a Ukrainian missile strike.

TASS/ZUMA
Kyrylo Danylchenko

This article was updated Sept. 26, 2023 at 6:00 p.m.

Russian authorities are making a concerted effort to downplay and even deny the recent missile strikes in Russia-occupied Crimea.

Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.

Sign up to our free daily newsletter.

Media coverage in Russia of these events has been intentionally subdued, with top military spokesperson Igor Konashenkov offering no response to an attack on Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol, or the alleged downing last week of Russian Su-24 aircraft by Ukrainian Air Defense.

The response from this and other strikes on the Crimean peninsula and surrounding waters of the Black Sea has alternated between complete silence and propagating falsehoods. One notable example of the latter was the claim that the Russian headquarters building of the Black Sea fleet that was hit Friday was empty and that the multiple explosions were mere routine training exercises.

Ukraine claimed on Monday that the attack killed Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. "After the strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, 34 officers died, including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Another 105 occupiers were wounded. The headquarters building cannot be restored," the Ukrainian special forces said via Telegram.

But Sokolov was seen on state television on Tuesday, just one day after Ukraine claimed he'd been killed. The Russian Defense Ministry released footage of the admiral partaking in a video conference with top admirals and chiefs, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, though there was no verification of the date of the event.

Moscow has been similarly obtuse following other reports of missiles strikes this month on Crimea. Russian authorities have declared that all missiles have been intercepted by a submarine and a structure called "VDK Minsk", which itself was severely damaged following a Ukrainian airstrike on Sept. 13. The Russians likewise dismissed reports of a fire at the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, attributing it to a mundane explosion caused by swamp gas.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has refrained from commenting on the military situation in Crimea and elsewhere, continuing to repeat that everything is “proceeding as planned.”

Why is Crimea such a touchy topic? And why is it proving to be so hard to defend?

Keep reading...Show less

The latest