Anyone who witnessed the arrival of the new soccer world champions in Buenos Aires up close can only be amazed. Neither the government nor the Argentine Football Association AFA had a plan for presenting the players to the party-loving crowd. Never before has a world champion been received in his own country so unprepared.
Soccer giant Argentina is actually one of the favorites before every World Cup. That the country actually wins once comes as no great surprise. What is shocking, on the other hand, is the lack of plan in Argentine politics to deal with it. If there was one more proof why Argentina’s economy isn’t getting back on its feet, then it’s this organizational embarrassment by President Alberto Fernandez and his Vice President Cristina Kirchner.
Argentina may have a bloated state apparatus, but it seems unable to come up with a plan to get a bus carrying world champions from A to B. Instead would be Messi
Apparently nobody drove the route beforehand to see if the headroom was right. Or whether there is a risk that – as happened later – fans will try to jump off the bridges into the double-decker bus. Personal protection? In the end, the players had to be flown out by helicopter.
The day in Argentina was a prime example of why this country is economically stuck. There is enough potential in all areas. But in the end, a monstrous bureaucracy prevents this potential from being used. Instead, there is little politics at the municipal, regional and national level. Everyone was only interested in getting their picture with Messi and the trophy, nobody in how to safely and professionally organize such a once-in-a-century event. And so in the end nobody got his picture, not even the President.
Many young Argentines love their home country, but at the same time they just want to get away. Because politics cannot show any prospects. This is the tragic reality. In the end, 99 percent of the fans in Buenos Aires celebrated a peaceful, fun, euphoric party. Self organized. They don’t know any other way that politics can’t deliver.
