María Eugenia Vidal (born 8 September 1973)
is an Argentine politician who served as
Governor of the Buenos Aires Province, being the
first woman in the office, and the first non-
Peronist since 1987. A member of
Republican Proposal
Republican Proposal ( es, link=no, Propuesta Republicana) is a centre-right
political party in Argentina. It is usually referred to by its abbreviation, PRO. PRO was formed as an electoral alliance in 2005, but was transformed into a national p ...
(PRO), she previously served as Social Development minister of the
City of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South Am ...
, and in 2011 she was elected deputy mayor of the city under
Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri (; born 8 February 1959) is an Argentine businessman and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He has been the leader of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party since its founding in 2005. He previo ...
. Since
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
, she has been a
National Deputy for the
Juntos por el Cambio
( en, Together for Change) is a centre-right political coalition in Argentina. It was created in 2015 as Cambiemos ( en, Let's Change), and renamed in 2019. It is composed of Republican Proposal, Radical Civic Union, Civic Coalition ARI and ...
coalition.
During her time as governor, Vidal was called "the Argentine
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
" due to her tough position against Peronist-aligned teacher unions.
Background
Vidal was born in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
. She was raised in the
Flores ward and enrolled in the
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina
A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy ...
, earning a degree in
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
.
She met Ramiro Tagliaferro, a classmate at the university, and they married in 1998; the couple has a son and two daughters.
She began her career in Grupo Sophia, a
think tank
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...
founded by
Horacio Rodríguez Larreta
Horacio Rodríguez Larreta (born 29 October 1965) is an Argentine economist, politician and the current Chief of Government of the City of Buenos Aires.
Larreta was re-elected in 2019 with almost 56% of the votes, becoming the first candidate ...
. She was named director of the group's social policy desk in 2000, as well as of Fundación Creer y Crecer, a think tank organized by
Commitment to Change
Commitment to Change ( es, Compromiso para el Cambio) was a centre-right political party in Argentina, principally active in the City of Buenos Aires.
History
The party was led by Mauricio Macri, businessman and chairman of Boca Juniors football ...
, a
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
political party led by mayoral candidate
Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri (; born 8 February 1959) is an Argentine businessman and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. He has been the leader of the Republican Proposal (PRO) party since its founding in 2005. He previo ...
.
She is also a member of Washington D.C. based think tank, The
Inter-American Dialogue. Vidal was elected to the
Buenos Aires City Legislature in 2003, and was appointed Chair of the Committee on Women and Youth.
[ She served in the Human Resources Department at ]PAMI
Usermaatre Setepenre Pami was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the 22nd Dynasty who ruled for 7 years. "Pami" in Egyptian, means "the Cat" or "He who belongs to the Cat Bastet, astet
Astet () is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Asténiens'' or ''Asténiennes''.
Geography
Astet is located some 30 km west by north- ...
"
Identity
Pami's precise relationship with his immediate pr ...
(the national health insurance service for the elderly and disabled), and as adviser to ANSES
The National Social Security Administration ( es, Administración Nacional de la Seguridad Social; mostly known for its acronym ANSES) is a decentralized Argentine Government social insurance agency managed under the aegis of the Ministry of He ...
(the social security administration), as well as the nation's Ministries of Social Development and Foreign Relations.
Vidal was fielded in the Republican Proposal
Republican Proposal ( es, link=no, Propuesta Republicana) is a centre-right
political party in Argentina. It is usually referred to by its abbreviation, PRO. PRO was formed as an electoral alliance in 2005, but was transformed into a national p ...
(PRO) party list as a candidate for a seat in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies for Buenos Aires Province in 2005, though unsuccessfully; she was later elected to the Buenos Aires City Legislature. The election of PRO leader Mauricio Macri as Mayor of Buenos Aires
, image = R larreta.jpg
, alt = Mayor of Buenos Aires
, incumbent = Horacio Rodríguez Larreta
, incumbentsince = 10 December 2015
, style = No courtesy, title or style
, residence = Buenos Aires ...
in 2007 led to Vidal's nomination as the city's Minister of Social Development. She requested maternity leave
Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, Paternity (law), paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" an ...
from the post ahead of her scheduled December 10 swearing-in for the birth of her third child, and took office on May 27, 2008.[
Vidal's profile rose following the 2009 election of Deputy Mayor ]Gabriela Michetti
Marta Gabriela Michetti Illia (; born 28 May 1965) is an Argentine politician and was Vice President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019 during Mauricio Macri's administration. Before her, the only woman to serve as vice president was Isabel Perón.
...
to a seat in the Chamber of Deputies, and she became Mayor Macri's most visible female adviser.
Following Macri's decision to forfeit a PRO candidacy for the 2011 presidential election, and instead seek a second term as mayor, he nominated Vidal as his running mate.[ The duo were reelected by a landslide on July 31, 2011, receiving over 64% of the vote with sociologist ]Daniel Filmus
Daniel Fernando Filmus (; born June 3, 1955) is an Argentine politician and academic, currently serving as the country's Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, since 2021.
Filmus formerly served as a National Senator for the City of Bu ...
coming in 2nd place.
Macri selected Vidal as the candidate of his party to run for governor of the Buenos Aires Province in the 2015 elections
The following elections were scheduled to occur in the year 2015.
Africa
* 2015 Beninese parliamentary election 26 April 2015
* 2015 Burkinabé general election 29 November 2015
* 2015 Burundian legislative election 29 June 2015
* 2015 Burun ...
. The Radical Civic Union, allied with PRO in the coalition Cambiemos
( en, Together for Change) is a centre-right political coalition in Argentina. It was created in 2015 as Cambiemos ( en, Let's Change), and renamed in 2019. It is composed of Republican Proposal, Radical Civic Union, Civic Coalition ARI and U ...
, proposed to replace her with Ángel Posse, but Macri kept Vidal. In another negotiation it was proposed that Sergio Massa
Sergio may refer to:
* Sergio (given name), for people with the given name Sergio
* Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found
* ''Sergio'' (album), a 1994 album by Sergio Blass
* ''Sergio'' (2009 film), a documentary film
* ''Se ...
resigned as candidate to the presidency and ran for governor in Macri's ticket, but Macri kept Vidal as candidate again. She was the first female governor of the province, and it is the first time in 28 years that a non- Peronist candidate has won the election in the country's most populous province.
Governor of Buenos Aires
On December 10, 2015, she swore before the Buenos Aires Legislature.
Shortly after assuming as governor, she announced that she would live together with her husband, Ramiro Tagliaferro, in a special residence within the perimeter of the Morón military air base. Although she later divorced Tagliaferro, she continued to reside in the residence for security reasons after having been subject to police threats.
In April 2018, the Konex Foundation awarded her a Konex Award – Diploma of Merit in the Public Administrators category.
Cabinet
Vidal announced her cabinet on December 4. It is composed by politicians from the Republican Proposal, the Radical Civic Union and former members of Scioli's cabinet.
* Federico Salvai, Minister of the Government
* Roberto Gigante, Minister of Coordination and Control
* Hernán Lacunza, Minister of Economy
* Cristian Ritondo, Minister of Security
* Edgardo Cenzón, Minister of Planification and Infrastructure
* Alejandro Finocchiaro, Minister of Education
* Alberto Mahiques, Minister of Justice
* Leonardo Sarquis, Minister of Agrarian Affairs
* Santiago López Medrano, Minister of Social Development
* Zulma Ortíz, Minister of Health
* Jorge Elustondo, Minister of Production
* Marcelo Villegas, Minister of Labor
Political views
She is in favor of the universal allocation per child Universal Allocation Per Child ( es, Asignación universal por hijo) is a social security program in Argentina. It pays a monthly subsidy to families for each child under 18 or disabled. Despite the name, it is not yet a universal program, and curre ...
, a social security program introduced during the Cristina Kirchner
Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess
*Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American s ...
's government.
Vidal has also stated that she and PRO
Pro is an abbreviation meaning "professional".
Pro, PRO or variants thereof may also refer to:
People
* Miguel Pro (1891–1927), Mexican priest
* Pro Hart (1928–2006), Australian painter
* Mlungisi Mdluli (born 1980), South African retired f ...
are against the Argentine price controls program, Careful Pricing.
She wants to reduce taxes and she did it in the Province of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires (), officially the Buenos Aires Province (''Provincia de Buenos Aires'' ), is the largest and most populous Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of th ...
.
The Spanish newspaper '' El País'' named her "the Argentine Thatcher" after Vidal's intense confrontations with Peronist unionists during her mandate.
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidal, Maria Eugenia
1973 births
Living people
Governors of Buenos Aires Province
Politicians from Buenos Aires
Argentine people of Spanish descent
Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina alumni
Republican Proposal politicians
Women governors of provinces of Argentina
Members of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies elected in Buenos Aires
Women members of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Deputy Chiefs of Government of Buenos Aires
21st-century Argentine women politicians
21st-century Argentine politicians
Members of the Inter-American Dialogue