The attendance was noticeably lower than that which had been called for days before. Alvaro Delgadobut the performance of the presidential candidate Open Town Hall, Guido Manini Rios in the National Chamber of Commerce and Services -in the cycle of Dialogue with the Candidates- was above expectations. With political expertise -which he does not lack- Manini focused practically 80% of his speech on the situation of the Small and Medium Enterprisesbefore an audience that was located precisely in that sector of the business community.
There he argued for the defense of small businesses, the need to improve their cost conditions and labor relationsamong other topics. “The General doesn’t have it easy…” a businessman commented mischievously at the cocktail party after the event. “Look, he launched his proposals for security -something that was expected and should be at the centre of the electoral campaign- and yet his partners in the Coalition received him coldly and even ignored him.” “You are right,” replied a colleague. “However, and beyond all the bad omens, the coalition is still alive and kicking despite the hard blows within the party, especially between Cabildo Abierto and the National Party,” he recalled. Both came from the interior to listen to (or should we say support) the Cabildo candidate.
“The polls give him a lower score than in 2019… do you think he will fall as much as they say?” asked one of them. “What I am sure of is that he will hardly achieve what he achieved in 2019: today you have the much stronger National Party leading the ruling party, and that has taken votes away from Cabildo. “Anyway, the poll that counts is in October.” “You sound like a political scientist talking,” his colleague told him before bursting into laughter. His friend followed him as they finished a couple of snacks accompanied by a soda. They had to go back to their hometown.
Bordaberry
“Since I was Minister of Industry in the government of Jorge Batlle who was not present at an ADM luncheon.” This is what he told him Pedro Bordaberry to a group of friends, as they settled in to listen to the presidential candidate Colorado Party, Andres Ojedaat the Radisson Hotel. The arrival of Bordaberry back into politics is taken by the Colorados as a very valuable push to have aspirations to enter the runoff, and dispute the presidency with the Broad Front“It’s unlikely, but not impossible; we’re going to fight, of course,” said a bold, red-haired lawyer as she moved between the tables.
The attendance at the lunch was very large, with many leading businessmen who wanted to hear the proposals of the young candidate, in addition to a “young crowd” that always accompanies him in his public presentations. “The fact that Pedro is there is important: there was more than one who doubted his presence; they said that he is making a personal move by avoiding the internal and going straight to the top with a list.” Senatetaking – it is true – a good portion of those defeated in the June elections; but here it is,” said another leader, in a confident tone. “If the Colorado Party aspires to a good vote, it has to show itself united,” he added. “In addition, Andrés is making an excellent speech, showing us as the party with the most experience to govern, which – in passing – exposes without much fanfare the errors that the whites have had in the government, which were several,” he added, lowering his voice with a strange political modesty. There are complicated partners.
Oddone
“I don’t know why… so much fuss!” exclaimed a Frente Amplio leader, knowledgeable about economic issues, in a mix of indignation and surprise, faced with the controversy caused by the economist’s proposal. Gabriel Oddone to aim at a wage deindexation if it is the turn of the Frente Amplio to be the government. “They forget that the Frente Amplio government itself, back in 2017, proposed something similar; it is obvious that, if you want to maintain the low inflation -and that is an objective shared by all political parties- you have to find a way not to index. In the very PIT-CNT “They know it!” he remarked. “If they know it, they simulate it well,” a journalist commented, with good timing for the counterattack.
Other colleagues listened to him while reviewing Oddone’s recent statements and the criticism made by none other than the president of the Frente Amplio, Fernando Pereirastating that this idea is not part of the Frente Amplio proposals. “The truth is that it cut thick,” he said. “Also, if I remember correctly, that proposal from the economic team did not achieve what was proposed and salaries were indexed in the next round of Wages Council from 2017 2018; they didn’t pay much attention to them, did they? It’s not easy to deal with the PIT-CNT….”, he added scathingly. “But again with that refrain!”, the leader retorted. “You know that the Frente Amplio will never aim to stabilize prices from the fall of the real wageit’s obvious, man… What we have to look for is an intelligent proposal to achieve both objectives, it’s quite clear, isn’t it? “And… the truth is, no,” another colleague answered, while someone handed him those guidelines from 2017. “But don’t get too worked up: the underlying question is: Will Oddone be the minister?” The conversation became intense, but maintained a good tone; the off-record has that: it makes it easier to talk openly.
In this lively Quincho we reported last week that Oddone was accompanying Orsi in his private meetings with businessmen, which is an unequivocal sign that he is first on the list of the former mayor for the Colonia and Paraguay portfolio. And since the column is read by everyone in politics, the repercussions are already beginning to arrive. “Yes yes… very clever Front: it takes Oddone with the businessmen… and who is going to go to the PIT-CNT?”, asked aloud an official leader with good access in the Executive Tower. “There is no need to be confused: the front exposes Oddone as the moderate and sensible face of the economic proposal. But if they get to the government, the story will be different,” he pointed out. “Do you think so? That was not what happened in their governments…” a lawyer who boasts of being politically independent teased him. “Oh no?!” the leader raised his tone. “There were two economic teams at a key moment in economic management, after the recovery of Tabaré’s first presidency, when everything was going up because Uruguay was coming out of the crisis.” “Don’t be mean… all this is very obvious,” he concluded.
Source: Ambito
