Axel Kicillof facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Axel Kicillof
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Kicillof in 2024
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| Governor of Buenos Aires | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2019 |
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| Vice Governor | Verónica Magario |
| Preceded by | María Eugenia Vidal |
| National Deputy | |
| In office 10 December 2015 – 10 December 2019 |
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| Constituency | City of Buenos Aires |
| Minister of Economy and Public Finances | |
| In office 18 November 2013 – 10 December 2015 |
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| President | Cristina Fernández de Kirchner |
| Preceded by | Hernán Lorenzino |
| Succeeded by | Alfonso Prat-Gay |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 September 1971 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Political party | Justicialist Party (since 2021) |
| Other political affiliations |
Front for Victory (2011–2017) Citizen's Unity (2017–2019) Frente de Todos (2019–2023) Union for the Homeland (2023–present) |
| Spouse | Soledad Quereilhac |
| Alma mater | University of Buenos Aires |
| Signature |  |
Axel Kicillof (born September 25, 1971) is an Argentine economist and politician. He has been the Governor of Buenos Aires Province since 2019.
Before becoming governor, Kicillof was Argentina's Minister of Economy from 2013 to 2015. He served under President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He played a key role in the government's decision to take back control of the energy company YPF in 2012. He also advised the president on how to handle a big dispute with some bondholders (people who had lent money to Argentina). Many international groups supported Argentina's position in this dispute.
Kicillof believes in Keynesian economics, which suggests that governments should play a role in the economy. He was a professor of Economic Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. He is known for his unique style, which shows his independent views.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Axel Kicillof was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the second of three children. His parents were a psychologist and a psychoanalyst. He grew up in the Recoleta neighborhood.
From 1984 to 1989, Kicillof went to the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. He then studied at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) from 1990 to 1995. He graduated with honors in Economics. He was the top student in his class. He later earned a Doctorate in Economics from UBA in 2005. His doctoral paper was about the ideas of economist Lord Keynes.
At university, Kicillof was a well-known student leader. He led a student group called Tontos pero No Tanto (TNT), which means Dummies but Not That Much. He was also part of the youth group La Cámpora. He was a strong critic of certain economic policies in Argentina during his student years.
Career
Academic Work
Kicillof taught at the Faculty of Economic Sciences at UBA from 1998 to 2010. He was known for his writings about economics. He also taught economics at other universities.
He taught advanced courses in economics for master's and doctoral students. He also worked as a researcher for CONICET, a national research council.
Other Professional Activities
Kicillof worked in various roles before joining the government. He was a financial manager at a medical center. He also advised on economic development for the Patagonia region.
Later, he worked as a project manager for a consulting firm. From 2009 to 2010, he was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Aerolíneas Argentinas, the national airline. He helped create their business plan. In 2011, he became the deputy general manager of Aerolíneas Argentinas. He also joined the board of directors of Siderar, a steel company.
Time as Finance Minister
When Cristina Fernández de Kirchner began her second term as president of Argentina, Kicillof was appointed Secretary for Economic Policy. This role was part of the Ministry of Economy. On November 18, 2013, Kicillof officially became the Minister of Economy.
YPF
Kicillof was very important in the renationalization of YPF. YPF is a large Argentine oil company. In 2012, the government decided to take back control of YPF from the Spanish company Repsol. This was a big move in Argentina's history.
Kicillof explained that this action was needed to change Argentina's economic policies from the 1990s. During that time, many government assets were sold off. After the government took control, Kicillof also served as a Director of YPF SA. He was seen as the main person behind the idea of taking back YPF.
In 2012, Kicillof told the Argentine Congress that Argentina would not pay $10 billion to Repsol. Eventually, an agreement was reached in 2013. Repsol received about US$5 billion in bonds for its share in YPF.
Minister of Economy
As Minister of Economy, Kicillof had the full support of President Cristina Kirchner. He was also a close friend of her son, Máximo Kirchner.
In 2014, The New York Times called Kicillof "The Influential Minister Behind Argentina's Economic Shift." They said he was leading changes to help Argentina connect with global financial markets again. Kicillof wanted the government to have more control over Argentina's economy.
When Argentina changed the value of its currency (the peso) in January 2014, Kicillof blamed financial speculation. Later, he blamed "vulture funds" from the United States. These are investment funds that buy debt from struggling companies or countries at a low price, hoping to make a large profit. Kicillof became one of the most powerful officials in the government. He managed the Ministry of Economy and influenced other government areas.
Debt Dispute
Kicillof was a key figure in a big dispute in 2014. This was with a small group of bondholders who had not agreed to Argentina's earlier debt restructuring plan. These "holdout bondholders" demanded a large payment. Most other bondholders (over 92%) had accepted Argentina's plan and were being paid on time.
A court ruling in the U.S. stopped payments to the bondholders who had agreed to the restructuring. This was because the court wanted the "holdout" group to be paid first. Kicillof refused to meet directly with these holdout creditors. Instead, he traveled to the United Nations to speak against the U.S. court's decision.
Kicillof led a team to negotiate with a mediator in New York. He argued against paying the holdout creditors on their terms. He called their demands "a scam." Kicillof also represented Argentina at the G-20 Summit in Australia in 2014. There, he asked other countries to take action against "vulture funds."
Congressman
Before the 2015 general election, Kicillof ran for a seat in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies. He was the top candidate on the Front for Victory list for the City of Buenos Aires. He won enough votes to be elected.
As a national deputy, Kicillof worked on several important committees. These included committees for finance, budgets, and industry. He also led the economic affairs committee. He proposed bills to make access to water, gas, and electricity a human right. He also supported bills to help transgender people find formal jobs and to ensure gender equality in employment.
Governor of Buenos Aires Province
After Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's presidency ended, Kicillof started a campaign across Buenos Aires Province. This is Argentina's largest province. He traveled to all 135 areas in the province in his car, meeting people and supporters. The media called his car the "Kicimóvil."
For the 2019 provincial elections, Kicillof was chosen to run for governor of Buenos Aires. He ran with Verónica Magario as his running mate. They focused their campaign on criticizing the current governor. On election day, Kicillof and Magario won with 52.15% of the votes. He became governor on December 11, 2019.
Kicillof and Magario were re-elected for a second term on October 22, 2023. They won with 44.8% of the vote. His re-election was seen as a big help for his party's presidential candidate in the national elections that year. He began his second term on December 11, 2023.
Personal Life
Axel Kicillof is married to Soledad Quereilhac. She is a literature professor at the University of Buenos Aires. She has also written a book about scientific imagination and fantasy literature. They live in Buenos Aires and have two children. Kicillof speaks English and French fluently. His younger sister, Irene, is a psychologist. His older brother, Nicolás, is a software engineer.
Some people have noted that Kicillof has a close relationship with Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her son, Máximo.
Images for kids
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Axel Kicillof's signature
See also
In Spanish: Axel Kicillof para niños
