Mauricio Macri
- Known for
- President of Argentina, Businessman, Boca Juniors president
- Born in
- Tandil, Argentina
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in civil engineering, Universidad del CEMA
Mauricio Macri is an Argentine businessman and liberal conservative politician who served as President from 2015 to 2019, ending a decade of Kirchnerism. His political career was deeply influenced by a traumatic kidnapping experience, leading him from business success (including his tenure at Boca Juniors) into public service.
Signature Positions
Macri's presidency focused on shifting Argentina away from state intervention and toward international engagement:
- Economic Policy: Implemented a gradualist neoliberalism, moving to a floating exchange rate, removing currency controls, and seeking to settle sovereign debt with international creditors.
- Foreign Relations: Strongly opposed Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, improving ties with the United States and pursuing free trade agreements, notably with the European Union.
- Energy Policy: Lifted long-standing state subsidies on utilities, leading to price hikes but aiming to spur investment, particularly in the Vaca Muerta shale deposit.
- Social Issues: Took a moderate stance on same-sex marriage by not appealing the initial legalization, but expressed personal opposition to abortion while allowing a congressional debate.
- Counter-Terrorism: Immediately annulled the controversial Memorandum of Understanding with Iran regarding the 1994 AMIA bombing investigation.
Notable Tensions
Macri's administration faced significant criticism regarding its economic outcomes and handling of specific domestic events:
- Economic Performance: Despite reform efforts, his term saw inflation remain stubbornly high, real wages decline, and high levels of external debt accumulation.
- Human Rights Organizations: His administration maintained a distant relationship with established rights groups, leading to tensions, particularly after modifying the Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice holiday.
- Wiretapping Case: Faced serious legal scrutiny over a wiretapping case involving bombing victims, although charges were ultimately dismissed after he left office.
- 2019 Election Loss: Became the first incumbent president in Argentina to lose re-election, defeated by Alberto Fernández.
Macri's presidency marked a decisive break with the populist era of Cristina Kirchner and Néstor Kirchner, repositioning Argentina firmly in the centre-right of the regional political spectrum. His efforts to reconnect with global markets were praised internationally by figures like Barack Obama but ultimately failed to deliver sustained, broad-based economic stability domestically.