The Socialist Party celebrated its 130th anniversary with a gathering over the weekend at Parque Lezama, where a debate that promises to ignite Argentine politics crept in: the construction of a broad front that goes beyond Peronism to confront Javier Milei. On the panel were Buenos Aires provincial government minister Carlos Bianco and Civic Coalition deputy Maximiliano Ferraro, two figures who made it clear that common ground exists and that the discussion is no longer whether to build it, but when.
“Inevitably, the construction of an alternative to Milei will happen,” Bianco fired off during the event. His words resonated strongly on the political stage and reignited a debate already looming around Governor Axel Kicillof: whether he should prioritize a broader construction that goes beyond Peronism, currently entangled in an endless internal dispute with a sector willing to obstruct, with all available resources, the path of the leader who appears as the best-positioned candidate.
But the Socialist event was not the only thermometer. Hours earlier, in the same Parque Lezama, a new anniversary of Cristina Kirchner’s detention was commemorated. And there, the former president took the opportunity to send a direct message to a journalist: she clarified that Kicillof is not her presidential candidate nor does she consider him the best candidate Peronism has. A poisoned dart that fell like a bucket of cold water on the governor’s aspirations.
The offensive against Kicillof did not stop there. Leaders of La Cámpora and other allies attacked from different angles: they accused him of being left-wing or right-wing, of opening up too much or not enough, of not visiting Cristina frequently or of not placing her freedom at the center of the political proposal. A barrage of criticism aimed at eroding the figure of the only Peronist leader who, according to polls, could go head-to-head with Milei.
Meanwhile, the PS and the Civic Coalition seem willing to build bridges. Ferraro, a historic figure close to Elisa Carrió, aligned with Bianco: both agreed on the urgency of a broad, democratic, and republican front that includes sectors of progressivism, radicalism, and even non-Kirchnerite Peronism. The question hanging in the air is whether Kicillof will dare to make the leap or remain trapped in the PJ’s internal disputes.
Time is running. Milei advances with his chainsaw, and Peronism bleeds from internal strife. Building an alternative seems, for many, the only way out. But the path is full of traps, egos, and betrayals. And in the middle, a governor watches warily as the bullets whistle close by.
Para mí esto huele a otro circo de zurdos queriendo frenar a Milei. PS, PJ, Kicillof, todos los mismos muertos de hambre. Cristina ya les cortó el rostro a todos, me parece. ¡Viva la libertad, carajo!
Para mí la unión hace la fuerza, pero con el PJ y los socialtraidores no vamos a ningún lado. Kicillof se cree el salvador, pero está más perdido que los radicales. ¡Ni con Milei ni con los tibios! Esto huele a más de lo mismo.