After Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina, the Government faces the dilemma of how to resume its relationship with Senator Patricia Bullrich, who in recent months has chained together a series of distancing moves from the Executive's leadership that strained the bond between the two parties.
At first, the Casa Rosada favored a strategy of not responding to the remarks of the La Libertad Avanza bloc leader. That also took place amid a particular silence from libertarian officials in the media agenda, so queries about that relationship dropped off significantly.
But recently, different wings of the Government have begun to dare to sharply distance themselves from Bullrich's flirting with a possible presidential candidacy ahead of next year. This possibility arises from various off-the-record statements by members of her circle, as well as from herself. More than one source told Infobae that in a meeting with her national deputies from her circle, she acknowledged her desire to compete next year if conditions were favorable.
Two weeks earlier, it was the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, who broke the silence and hinted at his discomfort with reports that she was considering launching her own presidential project.
His communications team circulated a video of him during a talk with members of the University Feder…
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Patricia Bullrich, Martín Menem and Karina Milei
Following Pope Leo XIV's visit to Argentina, the government faces the dilemma of how to resume its relationship with Senator Patricia Bullrich, who in recent months has chained together a series of breaks with the Executive's leadership that strained the bond between the two parties. At first, the strategy that prevailed at the Casa Rosada was not to respond to the remarks made by the leader of the La Libertad Avanza bloc. That also took place amid a particular silence from libertarian officials in the media agenda, so inquiries about that relationship dwindled significantly. But recently, different wings of the government have begun to dare to sharply distance themselves from Bullrich's flirting with a possible presidential run ahead of next year. This possibility arises from various off-the-record statements by members of her circle, as well as from herself. More than one source told Infobae that at a meeting with her national deputies from her circle, she acknowledged her desire to compete next year if conditions were favorable. Two weeks earlier, it was the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem, who broke the silence and hinted at his discomfort with reports that she was considering launching her own presidential project.
Her communications team let circulate a video of her during a talk with members of the Federación Universitaria del Río de la Plata (FURP), in which she said there are "no two candidates" within the ruling party, and clarified that the only name in the space is Javier Milei's. "Javier's leadership is irreplicable," said Karina Milei's right hand in Congress, who emphasized that "it is unanimous that the only candidate is Milei." Quite a few viewed with suspicion the fact that the Milei siblings went this week to the headquarters of the National Security Ministry, headed by Alejandra Monteoliva, to monitor the control of the operation for the Pope's visit. Sources in that circle say the minister has gained standing and that they seek to keep her as one of their own soldiers, severed from her predecessor, who was key to placing her in her current position.
On the last day of Leo XIV's visit to the country, Milei shared an Instagram post that ignited rumors of discontent with the politician. "There are people willing to sink the ship when they realize they will not be able to be the captain," the text read; it did not directly identify an addressee, but it was interpreted as a signal aimed at Bullrich.
Speculation continues within the ruling party about what may happen in the coming weeks. Those around the former minister say that if she is removed from the bloc leadership, she will have free rein to make whatever decision she wants. On the other hand, Milei's camp maintains that they will not take any rupture-like measures, though they will make their displeasure known.
"If you fire her, you give her the excuse to play. We don't believe she will have electoral pull, but she generates unnecessary noise. As long as things continue like this, she will have less time for any move she wants to make," says a source at the Casa Rosada. Another official indicates that any kind of conversation should first take place at a Political Table meeting, though it has not yet been convened. Nor has the Cabinet meeting, which at its last edition featured the unexpected absence of Bullrich.
As officials began giving more interviews, an increasingly clear defense of the President began to emerge. Speaking this Thursday was Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, who does not usually make references in internal terms. When asked about the suggestive post shared by the president, he said it is not a time for "personal ambitions," though he avoided judging the senator's position. Thus, he implicitly acknowledged the addressee of that story.
"It is clear where this is heading and that requires an absolute commitment from the government. We must not get stuck on small things or on personal ambitions that are not consistent with the times we are living," said the foreign minister.
A very important member of the Political Table shared the news of that statement with Infobae and opined: "Everyone grouped together on the same line; that has never been seen in political terms. I see everyone on that line, both on the Caputo side [referring to Luis and Santiago, the economy minister and the presidential advisor], the Menems [Martín and Lule, the president of the Chamber of Deputies and the national organizer], Quirno and more areas." Quite a few collaborators joke that Bullrich managed to get those first two sectors of the government to agree on one particular aspect.
Those who speak daily with the La Libertad Avanza senator take up the gauntlet of those statements and counterattack: several top officials of the government "want to portray her as being driven by ambition," a way of saying they seek to delegitimize her political claim within the ruling party.
Three sources from the so-called bullrichismo said the response to the statements by Quirno and Menem (who asked to speed up the treatment of the PASO in the Senate) is a post she published at midday on her X account. There she stated that the ruling party is prepared to move forward in the Senate with the treatment of the Disability Law. In a message published this Thursday, she affirmed that they have the votes to address an initiative aimed at resolving a conflict that, she argued, has gone years without a definitive solution.
The legislator pointed out that the changes can be achieved through dialogue and stressed that the country must be built "with all Argentines, without anyone being left out." The message also coincided with Pope Leo XIV's call to prioritize dialogue and attention to people with disabilities. The post was drafted this morning in her Senate office along with her communications team.
"What we want to say is that she will keep working to make the reforms that need to be made. We are not going to be pigeonholed into the place where they want to put us," they explain, adding that she is not differentiating herself on other key issues. They even promise that she will vote in favor of eliminating or suspending the PASO.