Mauricio Macri is looking for a bridge partner. On December 31, he received the news that his historic partner, with whom he had competed in international tournaments and who was also his teacher, Pablo Lambardi, had died. The news did not surprise them because Lambardi had been going through an illness for some time and the entire bridge community was aware. This could be recorded in the funeral notices of the newspaper news, where he was fired by his students and his peers for three days in a row.
Macri also said goodbye to him along with all the friends with whom they got together to play every Tuesday at his father Franco’s house in Barrio Parque. The group is called Mac Noc in homage to the two founding friends of that table of friends who are bridge fans: Franco Macri and Giorgio Nocella.
That is 2024 finds Macri lame as a card partner, but in the active search for a replacement worthy of his deceased friend.
In terms of football and business, he will continue exploring the Arab world, where he travels more frequently every year and where He has already established strong ties with the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahayan. Macri seeks to become a reference for the Arab world in Argentina and the world, even beyond football. On December 1, he appeared at the Alvear Hotel where the annual assembly of the International Polo Federation was being held to greet its members, because it was announced that Dubai would host the World Polo Championship in 2026. Macri has no role in the world of polo. He is only a friend of the Arabs. Nothing more and nothing less.
The door to the Arab world had already been opened during his Government, but the ties deepened due to his role as president of the FIFA Foundation and since the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 he has been a constant visitor to the Middle East, like his friend Gustavo Arribas. , who would have opened offices in that country together with Juan José Gallea, one of the few friends he had left during his time at the Federal Intelligence Agency.
Macri seeks to strengthen his ties with FIFA and even dreams of the presidency that will only be renewed in 2027. when Gianni Infantino’s term ends. The bond with Infantino continues to be unbeatable, to the point that Macri opened the door to friends like businessman Martín Migoya to make developments for FIFA and Infantino welcomed him with open arms. The Infantino – Migoya – Macri axis could provide more news this year, especially if the petrodollars of the emir of Qatar are added to them.
In the local chapter, Macri follows with expectation the future of the Government of Javier Milei, with whom he still maintains good dialogue. Quite the opposite of Patricia Bullrich with whom he distanced himself when the ministries were being negotiated. Both could meet again next month to define the future of the PRO, which will have elections, perhaps in March or April, if they accept a request from a group of leaders close to Horacio Rodríguez Larreta to advance the elections, which were scheduled for mid-year.
What will Macri do? Next week the already famous pilgrimage to the Cumelén country will begin, in Villa La Angostura. It is likely that among the guests who visit the former president there will be groups of deputies who ask him to be the president of the PRO. This clamor operation will begin to spread rumors throughout the country and will overheat the internal PRO, which today is divided into at least three large groups, one headed by Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and María Eugenia Vidal, another by Patricia Bullrich and another by Mauricio Macri. In the bullrichismo they pretend that if Macri wants to return as president of the party, she can get the General Secretary for her group and Horacio Rodríguez Larreta will keep third place. 2024 will be an intense year for Macri and his allies.