12/11/2015 MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenationBBCNews

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MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenation
10December2015 LatinAmerica&Caribbean

MauricioMacrihasbeensworninasArgentina'spresident,vowingtounitethenation
andrevivetheeconomy.

ThecentrerightMrMacritooktheoathofofficeinCongressbuthisinaugurationwasboycotted
byhispredecessor,CristinaFernandezdeKirchner,inarowoverthevenue.

Inhisinauguralspeech,MrMacrivowedtotacklecorruption,povertyanddrugtrafficking.

Healsopledged"teamwork"andanendtoconfrontationinpolitics.

WhoisMauricioMacri?

Theendof"Kirchnerismo"

TheKirchners'culturallegacy

WarofwordsasFernandezexits

MrMacri,56,toldCongress:"AspresidentIwanttobeacitizenwhocancommunicatewithall
Argentines.

"Politicsformeisnotacompetitiontoseewho'sgotthebiggerego.It'sworkingtogetherforthe
goodofthepeople.

"Todayadreamisbeingachieved,"hesaid.

LateonWednesday,MsFernandezhadbidfarewelltosupportersinanemotionalspeech,
urgingpeopletotaketothestreetsiftheyfeltbetrayedbythenewcentrerightgovernment.

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12/11/2015 MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenationBBCNews

AFP

AFP

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12/11/2015 MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenationBBCNews

AP

EPA

Thisisthefirsttimesincetheendofthemilitarydictatorshipin1983thatapresidenthasnot
attendedtheinaugurationofasuccessor.

MrMacritriumphedinlastmonth'selectionrunoff,beatingMsFernandez'schosensuccessor,
DanielScioli.

MrMacrihaspromisedtomovefromalargelystatecontrolledeconomyundertheleftistMs
Fernandeztoonethatismorefreemarketorientated,easingtradeandcurrencycontrols.

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12/11/2015 MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenationBBCNews

HehasalsopromisedtoimproverelationswiththeUS.

InhisspeechinCongresshesaid:"We'vegottotakeconfrontationoutofthecentreofpolitics.
Withfightingnoonewins,withdialogue,everyonewins.

"Anewtimeiscoming,atimeofdialogue,atimeofteamwork."

Hesaidthosewhohadvotedforhimwantedthreegoalszeropoverty,anendtodrug
traffickingandtheunityofallArgentines.

Theeconomicproblems

Highinflationofficialfiguressuggest15%,butindependentanalystsputitatnearly25%

Slumpincommodityprices,particularlygrains

Dwindlingforeigncurrencyreserves

DefaultondebtslinkedtolawsuitwithUShedgefunds

OvervaluedpesoandrestrictionsonbuyingUS$

Willtheeconomyrecover?

Toapplause,hesaidhewantedajudiciarycleanedofitspoliticalaffiliations.

MartaGabrielaMichettiwassworninasvicepresident.

MrMacrithentravelledtothepresidentialpalacetoreceivethesashandbatonofoffice.

MsFernandezhadinsistedthatthehandoverofthesymbolsofofficeshouldalsotakeplacein
Congress,whereherpartyholdsamajorityofseats.

Shearguedthiswasatraditionestablishedbyherandherlatehusbandandpredecessorin
office,NestorKirchner.

'Bestandworst'ofFernandezmediaroundup
TheBuenosAiresHeraldsaysMsFernandez'slastdayshowedher"atbothherbestandher
worst"witha"displayofpettypoliticalmischief"butwith"agriponthepopularimagination".She
is"leavingnotwithnostalgiabutwitharallyingcry",itconcludes.

LaPrensadescribesMsFernandez'sfailuretomanagethehandoverceremonyas"aloss
withoutprecedents"and"abitterlessonlearnedtoolate",addingthatnewpresidentisnowfirmly
"incontrol".

LeftwingnewspaperPagina12ismoresympathetic,showingimagesofthehugecrowdsof
supportersgatheredinthePlazadeMayo,alongwiththeheadline:"TheHug."
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12/11/2015 MauricioMacri:Argentina'snewpresidentvowstounitenationBBCNews

InBrazil,rightwingmagazineVejawritesof"thefolliesofCristinaKirchner"whileChile'sEl
MercuriosaysMrMacriistakingpower"surroundedbycontroversy".

Challengesforthenewpresident

MrMacriarguedthataccordingtopresidentialprotocol,thehandovershouldbeheldinthe
palace,asitwasbefore2003.

LocalmediareportedthatMrMacri'sdecisionwasprobablydrivennotjustbytraditionbutalso
byaconcernthatfollowersofMsFernandezcoulddisrupttheceremonyinCongress.

AfterMsFernandezdeclinedtoattendtheceremonies,MrMacri'spartysoughtacourt
injunctionaffirmingthathertermendedatmidnightonWednesday.

MsFernandeztoldhersupportersonWednesdayevening:"Ican'tspeaklongbecauseat
midnightIturnintoapumpkin."

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