13-12-19 Latin American Weekly Report

After a four-year hiatus, Peronism is back in Argentina. Alberto
Fernández was sworn-in as the country’s new president on 10 December.
Having delayed revealing the members of his cabinet until days before
his investiture, Fernández wasted no time in setting about business.
He wants congress to approve three bills before Christmas declaring
public health, social, and economic emergencies, which would delegate
legislative powers to the executive. This will create tensions with
the centre-right opposition Cambiemos coalition that supported his
predecessor, Mauricio Macri, and provide an immediate test of his
government’s ability to marshal support in congress. Meanwhile, his new
economy minister, a political neophyte, moved to initiate a consultation
process with creditors with a view to easing Argentina’s onerous external
debt burden.