Recent elections in Argentina saw setbacks for President Carlos Menem and his Peronist party and gains for the opposition coalition led by a dynamic woman politician, Graciela Meijide. But recent exchanges between Mr Menem and the opposition member of parliament have shown yet again what an astute politician the president is. Nick Caistor is just back from Buenos Aires:

Argentina is a fiercely proud republican country. A few days ago I was sitting in a cafe on one of the main avenues of the capital, Buenos Aires. On the wall opposite me in big letters was written Article 16 of the National Constitution: nobody shall receive favours or advancement due to reasons of birth or blood...in other words, no aristocracy. Just around the corner from the cafe is the square where freedom from Spanish monarchic rule was first proclaimed in 1810, since when Argentina has offically rejected any kind of aristocrat order.

But as in many republics, Argentines still have a huge fascination with royalty. I recently took part in a live debate on Argentine TV about the death of Diana Princess of Wales. What impressed me most was not merely the enormous interest in Argentina for the British monarchy in Argentina, but the extent to which my Argentine journalist colleagues knew all the little details of British royal history, down to a discussion of the consequences of the princess' death in terms of a historic struggle between the aristocratic families of Windsor and Spencer.

And while I was in Argentina I met the man who calls himself "the king of the gauchos". The gauchos are the cowboys of Argentina, the free spirits who roam the grasslands of the pampas, herd the cattle, and owe allegiance to no-one. But the Commodore, who lives in a 12 floor flat in the suburbs of Buenos aires and wears the high boots, silver belt, dagger and scarlet kerchief of the gauchos, claimed he was appointed by no less a person than President Menem himself.

It was during a recent visit by President Clinton that he received this honorary title. President Menem presented him to the US leader with the words: "and this is my great friend, the king of the gauchos." Taken aback, the commodore protested, but President Menem insisted: "Aren't I a gaucho, like all true Argentines? and aren't you the leader of the gauchos?" Well then, that makes you my king, doesn't it?" The commodore swelled with pride.

This was just one small example of how president Menem uses flattery to win people over. The president is a rough, no-nonsense man from one of the poorest Argentine provinces. He has been in power for over seven years now, although many people predicted his downfall after only a few months. His style of government has been described as "pizza with champagne", he does not have much style or many airs and graces. He will hug people in his enthusiasm, or lose his temper with political niceties, and many middle class Argentines are said to vote for him "holding their noses" to avoid the smell of alleged corruption.

But although some of these middle classes could no longer bear to vote for him, and his party did badly at parliamentary elections in October, Menem himself still knows how to play the common touch to his best advantage. So when the main leader of the opposition coalition Graciela Meijide described one of his recent remarks as showing how "plebeian" he was, he was immediately able to turn it to his advantage. Yes, the president said, he was "plebeian", because "plebeian" meant to be of the people. and of course he was of the people and proud of it. Didn't the senora Meijide, that "middle-class duchess", know that Argentina was a republic where everyone was equal, and proud of it? In this one reply, President Menem won back the support of many of those who had voted against his party.

Yet paradoxically, President Menem also seems to be fascinated by the aristocracy. 1998 is the last full year of his term in office, and he sees the crowning point of his presidency as a visit to the United Kingdom to visit the Queen. Once again, he is likely to use the occasion both to demonstrate his impeccable republican credentials while enjoying the photo-opportunities with the monarch. This should guarantee him even higher levels of popularity back in Argentina, always provided he does not forget himself and hug Her Majesty.
 

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