Mauricio Macri

Mauricio Macri was born on February 8, 1959, in Tandil, Argentina. He became a businessman and politician, serving as President of Argentina from 2015 to 2019. Before becoming president, Macri was the leader of the Republican Proposal party and worked as Chief of Government of Buenos Aires from 2007 to 2015.

Macri studied to be a civil engineer and later attended business school in the United States. His life took a serious turn when he was kidnapped in 1991, which led him to get involved in politics after he was released. He also helped manage a famous football club, Boca Juniors, which made him well-known to many people.

As president, Macri focused on changing Argentina's economy and improving relationships with other countries. He made several changes to how money was handled in the country and worked to open Argentina to international trade. Macri was known for standing against the government in Venezuela and for strengthening ties with the United States and Europe.

Although many praised Macri for fighting against corruption, others felt he did not do enough to improve the economy. In the 2019 election, he was defeated and did not get to serve a second term as president.

Early life, education and early career

Mauricio Macri was born in Tandil, a town in the province of Buenos Aires. His parents were Francesco "Franco" Macri, a businessman from Italy, and Alicia Blanco-Villegas Cinque. The family later moved to Buenos Aires but kept a home in Tandil for holidays. Macri's father and uncle encouraged him to work in business.

He studied at Colegio Cardenal Newman and earned a degree in civil engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. During this time, he learned about neoliberalism and joined a political group led by Álvaro Alsogaray. Later, he took classes at Columbia Business School, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Universidad del CEMA in Buenos Aires.

Macri started his career at a construction company called SIDECO Americana, which belonged to his father's business group. He worked there for three years. In 1984, he joined the credit department of Citibank in Buenos Aires. He returned to his family’s company in 1984 and became its general manager in 1985. In 1992, he took a leadership role at Sevel Argentina, which made cars for Fiat and Peugeot in Argentina.

Boca Juniors

Mauricio Macri tried to become the leader of the famous soccer club Boca Juniors in 1995. He worked hard to help the team, even paying for players and coaches. At first, things didn’t go well, but later the team started winning many games and got lots of titles under his leadership.

During his time with Boca Juniors, the team achieved sixteen important wins, making Macri the leader with the most titles in the club’s history. He also wanted to change rules in Argentine soccer to help clubs run better.

Early political career

In 1991, Macri was held for 12 days by officers of the Argentine Federal Police. He was kept in a small room until his family paid a large amount of money to let him go. Macri said this experience led him to start a career in politics.

Macri began his political journey in 2003 by creating a new party called Commitment to Change in Spanish. He tried to become the mayor of Buenos Aires but lost the election. In 2005, he joined forces with another politician to form the Republican Proposal (PRO) party and was elected to the Chamber of Deputies. He later ran again for mayor of Buenos Aires and won in 2007, becoming the leader of the city. He continued to be active in politics and was re-elected as mayor in 2011.

Buenos Aires administration

Macri's time leading Buenos Aires focused on improving public transport. One big project was the Metrobus, a fast bus system added to main streets. By the time he left office, this system had five lines and 113 stops covering over 50 kilometers.

The city also added bike paths and started a bike-sharing program called EcoBici. Work began on projects to make train travel safer and smoother, like building tunnels instead of level crossings where trains and cars could meet.

Macri supported letting the city take over the Buenos Aires Underground from the national government, though this took time to arrange. Some train lines got new, modern cars during his leadership.

In 2008, Macri suggested creating a new Buenos Aires Metropolitan Police to work alongside the national police. This new police force started with about 1,000 officers, while the national police still had many more in the city.

Macri allowed the first same-sex marriage in Argentina to happen in Buenos Aires without challenging the court decision. This was a big step, as same-sex marriage was not widely accepted at the time.

Presidential elections

2015 Argentine general election

Main article: 2015 Argentine general election

Further information: Presidential debates in Argentina and Ballotage in Argentina

Mauricio Macri ran to become president of Argentina in 2015. With President Cristina Kirchner not able to run again, polls showed a close race between Macri, governor Daniel Scioli, and mayor Sergio Massa. Some smaller parties joined together, but later split apart. Macri's party, called PRO, teamed up with others to form a new group named Cambiemos, meaning "Let's change."

Macri won his party's primary election. Before the main vote, polls showed Scioli would likely win easily. But in the first round, Scioli got 37% of the votes and Macri got 34%, forcing a second round. In the second debate, Macri criticized Scioli's campaign methods. In the final vote on November 22, Macri narrowly won, ending twelve years of Kirchnerite leadership in Argentina.

2019 Argentine general election

Main article: 2019 Argentine general election

In August 2019, Macri won his party's primary to run again in the general election later that year. However, in the primary, he only got 32% of the vote compared to 47% for Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner from the other party.

In the October 27 general election, Fernández won with 48.1% of the vote, while Macri received 40.4%, meaning Fernández won without needing a second round.

Presidency

Macri became the President of Argentina in 2015. Before taking office, he announced his cabinet and faced some difficulties during the transition. He took the oath of office and made a speech promising support for key areas like education, social protection, and solving problems honestly.

During his time as president, Macri faced economic challenges. He removed some controls on buying and selling foreign currencies, which led to changes in the value of the Argentine peso. He also tried to end a long-standing financial dispute to improve Argentina’s economy. Despite efforts, the economy had slow recovery, with high unemployment and inflation. Macri also worked on improving energy production and dealt with social issues, including debates on changing laws related to certain health topics. His foreign policy shifted, focusing on improving relations with countries like the United States and addressing issues in Venezuela.

Controversies

Wiretapping case

Mauricio Macri faced charges in 2010 related to spying on people whose family members died in a bombing. He denied these charges. A judge indicted him, but the case was later dismissed in 2015. Some people involved in the case are still being investigated.

Panama Papers

In 2016, documents were leaked showing that Macri was listed as a director of a company from 1998 to 2009. He did not report this when he became mayor in 2007 or president in 2015. Macri said he did not receive any money from the company and was not a shareholder. A judge later ruled that he did not improperly accept a director position.

Detention of Milagro Sala

After Gerardo Morales became governor of Jujuy Province in 2015, he opposed activist Milagro Sala, accusing her of leading a group that forced children to join. When Morales took office, he required organizations to operate through banks. Sala protested, and was arrested in 2016. She faced charges related to building projects, and remained in jail. International groups asked for her release, saying she was exercising her rights. The case continues in the province.

Death of Santiago Maldonado

A protest blocked a road in Chubut Province, leading to a clash with police. One protester, Santiago Maldonado, disappeared during the event. His body was later found in a river, and the investigation concluded he died accidentally by drowning.

ARA San Juan

In November 2017, the submarine ARA San Juan went missing. There were issues in the search process and communication with families. The submarine was found a year later.

2019 Bolivian political crisis

During Macri's last months as president, there were claims of election fraud in Bolivia, leading to protests and the resignation of President Evo Morales. Macri's government recognized the new interim president and did not allow Morales's plane to fly over Argentina. Later accusations claimed Macri's government sent weapons to Bolivian forces, but these were denied.

Personal life

Mauricio Macri was married to Ivonne Bordeu, the daughter of a famous race-car driver, but they later divorced. He then married model Isabel Menditeguy in 1994, though they separated in 2005. After that, he dated María Laura Groba before marrying businesswoman Juliana Awada in 2010. They separated in 2025.

Macri enjoys playing bridge and represented Argentina in a world competition in 2022. During one wedding, he accidentally swallowed a fake moustache he was wearing and needed quick help to stay safe.

Electoral history

Executive

Legislative

Honours

Mauricio Macri has received many important awards from Argentina and other countries.

From Argentina, he was named Grand Master of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín and the Order of May.

He also received honors from Brazil, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, including grand crosses and grand collars of various orders. These awards were given by leaders such as Michel Temer, François Hollande, and others.

Ancestry