Argentina’s outgoing president is taking the official presidential Twitter account as a keepsake
LatestImagine President Obama leaving office and taking the official White House Twitter account with him.
Well, that’s what Argentina’s outgoing president is doing.
In her final hours in office, lame duck President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has apparently decided that the official Twitter account she’s been using for the past eight years belongs to her, and not the government.
On Tuesday night, @CasaRosadaAR, the Twitter account for Argentina’s presidential palace, “The Pink House,” inexplicably changed its name, bio and profile photo to reflect new ownership.
The previous bio described @CasaRosadaAR as the “Official Twitter account of Argentina’s Government House.” It now reads “A Twitter tribute to the Nestor and Cristina Kirchner administrations, May 25th, 2003 to December 10, 2015. Unofficial Twitter account after December 10, 2015.”
A fiery populist and two-term leader, Fernandez succeeded her husband, the late former President Nestor Kirchner, in 2007. Between them, they have shared the presidency for the past 12 years.
Now, she’s clearly having a hard time relinquishing power.
After her candidate was defeated in a presidential runoff last month, Fernandez has repeatedly locked horns with her successor, President-elect Mauricio Macri. In an escalating spat that has left Argentines shaking their heads, Fernandez has battled with Macri over where his Dec. 10 inauguration will be held.
Then, in a stunning about-face, Fernandez decided to skip the swearing-in ceremony altogether, according to one of her top aides. That means Fernandez will break from tradition by not handing off the presidential sash to her successor.
And he’s not getting the Twitter username and password either.