Having power and not using it?

Argentina is presently governed by a triumvirate: Cristina Kirchner, Sergio Massa and Alberto Fernández, in order of the political support they brought into the coalition. Of course, one of the problems facing Alberto Fernández was that he was the smaller of the three. Nevertheless, he managed to get control of many areas of the Administration, particularly the economy under the minister of the Economy Guzmán, and the minister of Production Kulfas.

As you all know, it did not work. Now the question is: once they failed, why is it now the turn for the second (Massa) and not the first (Kirchner)? Cristina could have nominated her protégé, Axel Kiciloff, he was her minister in her last term. If she was critical of Guzmán, she may be even more critical of Massa’s policies. Why does she give way to, well, if not a rival, a competitor, instead of taking the power she might well deserve?

I do not know, but I wonder: is it because she thinks a crash is inevitable and, in a Machiavellian move, just leaves her partner to spend all political capital he might have left? In a mood a la Cruella De vil? Or is it that she does not think it wise to lose direct control of the province of Buenos Aires if Kiciloff goes to the Ministry? Does she have other trusted names for the position?

A third option would be that she believes there is no room (or money) for populism, and it is time to some restraint. Uhmm…, rational logic does not seem to prevail so easily in this camp.

Is it that she wants to use whatever power she has to stop a defeat at the Courts? But wouldn’t taking more power give her more weapons in this battle?

Sorry, no clear answers, maybe readers can give a better option.