When a surprise is no surprise: Bachelet’s mini cabinet-shuffle

CHILE - In Brief 09 Jun 2016 by Igal Magendzo

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Michelle Bachelet replaced her Interior Minister on Wednesday. Traditionally, the Interior Minister is considered the cabinet’s first among equals, and indeed becomes acting president – referred to as vice-president – when the president is travelling (the rest of the time Chile has no such position). The outgoing minister, Jorge Burgos, was named only 14 months ago, in a cabinet shuffle which also included a change in the Finance Ministry and the Secretary General of the Presidency. This move was widely regarded at the time as a possible shift to the center on the part of the president, and was well received by the private sector. In the ensuing months, however, it became increasingly clear not only that Burgos was unable to imbue policy with his more moderate stance, but that the was increasingly out of the presidential loop. Several incidents showed that President Bachelet took major decisions without consulting or informing her Interior Minister. At the end of 2015, Burgos resigned in protest to one such incident, but Bachelet managed to convince him to stay on. The writing, however, was on the wall. It seems that in recent weeks Bachelet, in preparation or a broader cabinet shuffle, began searching for a replacement for Burgos. Top of the list was Mario Fernandez, an experienced Christian Democrat who had served in various ministerial positions and was serving as ambassador in Uruguay. When Burgos found out he decided to walk. If those press reports are accurate, then it appears another cabinet shuffle is in the works. Even Nueva Mayoría congresspeople are asking for some sign from the presidency that may help to revert the long-standing decline in the polls. With ...