Alberto Fernández
Alberto Ángel Fernández (Latin American Spanish: [alˈβeɾto feɾˈnandes] ; born 2 April 1959) is an Argentine politician, lawyer, and academic who is the President of the Justicialist Party since 2021. He was previously the President of Argentina from 2019 to 2023. He was also the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers from 2003 to 2008. His tenure as Cabinet Chief remains the longest since the post was created in 1994.
For other people named Alberto Fernández, see Alberto Fernández (disambiguation).
Alberto Fernández
- Néstor Kirchner
- Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Diego Peluffo
- Justicialist
(1983–2013; 2017–present) - Renewal Front
(2013–2017) - UNIR Constitutional Nationalist Party
(1982–1983)
- Union for the Homeland
(2023–present) - Everyone's Front
(2019–2023) - Citizen's Unity
(2018–2019) - Justicialist Front Comply
(2017–2018) - Front for Victory
(2003–2017)
- Vilma Ibarra (2005–2014)
- Fabiola Yáñez (2014–present)
2
- Politician
- lawyer
- academic
Born in Buenos Aires, Fernández attended the University of Buenos Aires, where he earned his law degree at age 24, and later became a professor of criminal law. Ideologically a Peronist, entered public service as an adviser to Deliberative Council of Buenos Aires and the Argentine Chamber of Deputies. In 2003, he was appointed Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, serving during the entirety of the presidency of Néstor Kirchner, and the early months of the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
A member of the Justicialist Party,[1] a Peronist party, Fernández was the party's candidate for the 2019 presidential election under the leftist Frente de Todos alliance and defeated incumbent president Mauricio Macri with 48% of the vote. His political position has been described as left-wing.[2] The first two years of his presidency was limited by the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina, during which he imposed strict lockdown measures to suppress the spread of the disease,[3] and a debt crisis inherited from his predecessor.[4] While the economy recovered in 2021–22,[5] inflation rose to 100% (the highest since 1991).[6] His approval ratings have been constantly low throughout his presidency, only in few certain occasions over 50% approval rate, with disapproval ratings from 60% to 80%.[7][8]
According to British newspaper The Economist, Fernández was considered "a president without a plan", and his presidency to be a "weak administration",[9][10] alluding to his lack of independent decision-making. Instead, his decisions were under heavy influence of Vice President and former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, also leader of the coalition, whom Fernández himself described as a "permanent source of consultation".[11] In April 2023, Fernández announced that he decided to not seek reelection to the presidency in the 2023 presidential election.[12] He was succeeded by Javier Milei on 10 December 2023.[13]
Pre-presidency[edit]
He was named head of the City of Buenos Aires chapter of the Justicialist Party, but minimized his involvement in Front for Victory campaigns for Congress in 2009.[21] Fernández actively considered seeking the Justicialist Party presidential nomination ahead of the 2011 general elections.[22] He ultimately endorsed President Cristina Kirchner for re-election, however.[23] He was campaign manager of the presidential candidacy of Sergio Massa in 2015.[24]
Presidential styles of
Alberto Fernández
Excelentísimo Señor Presidente de la Nación (Most Excellent President of the Nation)
Presidente de la Nación (President of the Nation)
Señor Presidente (Mister President)
Controversies[edit]
Allegations of racism[edit]
On 9 June 2021, Fernández was at a meeting with business leaders alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Casa Rosada. When he sought to play up the Argentinian ties with Europe, he said "The Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships. And they were ships that came from Europe." Fernández erroneously attributed the quote to the Mexican poet, essayist and diplomat Octavio Paz, although it had originated from lyrics by local musician and personal friend Litto Nebbia. Faced with the negative backlash to his comments, on the same day Fernández apologized on Twitter[142] and the next day sent a letter to the director of the National Institute Against Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (INADI), clarifying his comments.[143]
Violations of COVID-19 rules[edit]
In August 2021, it was revealed that there had been numerous visits to the presidential palace during the lockdown that he had imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; visitors included an actress, a dog trainer, and a hairdresser, as well as hosting a birthday party for the First Lady.[144][145]
Rejection of a Supreme Court ruling[edit]
In December 2022, Fernandez sparked a battle with the Supreme Court of Argentina and a legal crisis after he said he would reject a ruling it made to give a larger proportion of state funds to the city of Buenos Aires. In a ruling the Supreme Court said the level of funds to Buenos Aires should be raised from 1.4% of the total pool of funds to 2.95% after it was cut by government decree during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. He said the ruling was unjustified and pledged to ignore it; "it is an unprecedented, incongruous, and impossible-to-enforce ruling", calling the decision politically motivated ahead of general elections next year and adding that it would hurt the other provinces. His remarks sparked off a backlash, with critics saying the rejection of a Supreme Court decision set a dangerous precedent and undermined the justice system, while several provincial governors sided with Fernandez and criticized the court ruling. Buenos Aires city mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, criticized the declaration of Fernandez, saying; "the president decided to break the constitutional order, completely violate the rule of law and attack democracy." Various industry groups criticized the move as dangerous to the rule of law.[2]
Other controversies[edit]
Fernández has engaged in disputes with users on Twitter before his presidency, in which his reactions have been regarded as aggressive or violent by some.[146][147][148] Tweets show him responding to other users with expletives such as "pelotudo" (Argentinian slang for "asshole"),[149][150] "pajero" ("wanker"),[151][147] and "hijo de puta" ("son of a bitch");[152][153] he also called presidential candidate José Luis Espert "Pajert", a word play between his last name and the Argentine slang for "wanker".[150] In December 2017, he responded to a female user by saying, "Girl, what you think doesn't worry me. You better learn how to cook. Maybe then you can do something right. Thinking is not your strong suit".[154][155]
In June 2020, he told journalist Cristina Pérez to "go read the Constitution", after being questioned about his attempts to install a government-designated administration in the Vicentín agricultural conglomerate.[156]
In a 2017 interview for the Netflix mini-series Nisman: The Prosecutor, the President, and the Spy, Fernández stated that "To this day, I doubt that [Nisman] committed suicide";[157] however, after he became president in 2020, Fernández reportedly said, "I am convinced that it was a suicide, after doubting it a lot, I am not going to lie."[158] He was referring to Alberto Nisman, a prosecutor investigating Fernández's vice president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner for her suspected cover-up of Iran's participation in the 1994 AMIA bombing. Nisman accused Fernández de Kirchner of secretly negotiating with Iranian officials to cover up their complicity in the attack in exchange for oil to reduce Argentina's energy deficit. Officially, the agreement called for the exchange of Argentinian grain for Iranian oil.[159] Nisman was found dead in his apartment on 18 January 2015, only hours before he was scheduled to present his report to Congress.[160]
Personal life[edit]
Fernández married Marcela Luchetti, a fellow University of Buenos Aires law student, in 1993.[161] They separated in 2005.[162] Fernández and Luchetti have a single child, Tani Fernández Luchetti (born 1994)[163] known in Argentina for being a drag performer and cosplayer who goes by the stage name Dyhzy.[164][165]
Since 2014, Fernández has been in a relationship with journalist and stage actress Fabiola Yáñez, who fulfilled the role of First Lady of Argentina during Fernández's presidency.
[166] The couple owns three dogs: Dylan[167] (named after Bob Dylan, whom Fernández has praised and cited as an inspiration[168]) and two of Dylan's puppies, Prócer[169] and Kaila.[170] On 23 September 2021, the presidential office's medical unit announced Yáñez was expecting her first child.[171] Yáñez and Fernández's son, Francisco Fernández Yáñez, was born on 11 April 2022 at Sanatorio Otamendi, in Buenos Aires.[172][173]
Fernández is also an Honorary Professor of Tsinghua University.[174]
Fernández is a supporter of Argentinos Juniors' football team.[175]