The Government of Javier Milei, which so shies away from traditional politics, needs to reconcile with it to carry out its State reform law, a mammoth of more than 600 articles that fundamentally changes a good part of the political, social and economic structure of Argentina. The far-right party, La Libertad Avanza, is in a minority in Parliament and requires the support of part of the legislative chambers to advance with its measures. Although a sector of the Cabinet was intransigent, some ministers have acknowledged “errors” in the drafting of the text and have begun to give in during the debate on the project in committees, which started this week. The elimination of an article that controls meetings of more than three people or the renunciation of the Executive concentrating great power for up to four years are some of the points to review.
The discussion of the initiative began on Tuesday in a plenary session of three committees and lasted until early this Friday – it will resume next week. “Some errors made in the drafting of the law are going to be modified,” acknowledged Guillermo Francos, Minister of the Interior, after listening to the criticism expressed from all parties. Francos defended the content of the initiative and assured that he and his team will evaluate the “concerns” of the legislators so that the law advances and can be voted on in the chamber. La Libertad Avanza hopes to approve the law in Congress before the end of the month, when the period of extraordinary sessions called by Milei for that purpose ends. The Government believes that these and other measures are “absolutely necessary” for Argentina, which closed 2023 with an inflation of 211.4%, to emerge from “decadence.”
The Argentine president has attacked Congress to pressure the approval of the law; He has accused legislators, who for him are part of “the caste,” of being corrupt and has told them that, if they are not “in favor of freedom,” they support an “impoverishing model.” In the commissions, however, there have been signs of negotiation. To Francos' concessions were added those of Patricia Bullrich, Minister of Security, who promised to eliminate article 331 of the law, which establishes the obligation to request permission from the Government for “the intentional and temporary congregation of three or more people ” in public space. “Consider it withdrawn,” she settled on one of the most controversial aspects of the project. Also the Undersecretary of Environment, Ana Lamas, assured that a change in the Forest Law that caused controversy will be removed: “It was included by mistake.”
The Cabinet also collected criticism of the first part of the project, which declares the country in a “public emergency” and transfers to the Executive broad powers in economic, financial, fiscal, social, pension, security, defense, and tariff issues. , energy, health and social for two years – extendable to four. “It seems like a lot of delegations, but we have tried to be precise in the power that is being delegated. It is not about it being a blank check, nor is it trying to close Congress,” clarified Eduardo Rodríguez Chirillo, Secretary of Energy, in his speech. In the opposition, they propose that the delegation be for only one year, extendable for another year, but through Congress.
The initiative has 664 articles that address varied topics ranging from the reform of the political system or the control of social protests to the authorization of the resale of tickets to sporting events; They also propose the closure and defunding of cultural organizations or the elimination of the retirement mobility law and facilitate the privatization of state companies. Many of these points have put different sectors on alert and have called part of the citizens to the streets, where the mobilizations and banging of pots and pans are heard. Different analysts have pointed out that by sending such an incomprehensible bill to Congress—which, in turn, is added to a megadecree of more than 300 points—the Government counted on only part of the measures, the core of the norm , it would happen.
“We have to discuss what is necessary and what is appropriate, and see what aspects of the law we can advance in, if we do not get support in the different areas,” Francos said during his speech. The Minister of the Interior had already given signs of flexibility while the presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni, repeated in the morning press conferences that the content of the initiative “is not negotiated.” Francos, a traditional and moderate politician, has been meeting with governors in recent weeks to listen to their concerns and was willing to “clarify some points.” Even so, the minister assured that he sees “very great support for the project.”
Milei has also been optimistic. “We believe that everything will work out,” she said in a radio interview and suggested, for the first time, that “it may be” that the norm “has sequence.” She needs to demonstrate to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has just granted 4.7 billion dollars to the South American country, that she can carry out the adjustment she seeks. The Government presented, as soon as it took office, a decalogue of economic measures. Added to the strong adjustment that the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, announced that day was a fiscal package included among the hundreds of articles in the bill. The IMF has supported these measures. “The new Administration is already implementing an ambitious stabilization plan,” said Julie Kozack, communications director of the financial organization, on Thursday, according to the AP agency.
No space has agreed to approve the law as it is currently written. Milei's party has 38 of 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and seven of 72 seats in the Senate. For the project to move forward, it will need to add the support of other forces. Those who have shown themselves willing to support the law are the PRO deputies, who respond to former conservative president Mauricio Macri (37 seats); those of the Radical Civic Union (34), historical counterweight to Peronism; those of We Make the Federal Coalition, a recently created bloc with legislators from Peronism and the center-right (23) and some provincial parties. The Peronist coalition Unión por la Patria (102) and the Workers' Left Front (five), on the other hand, have rejected the project and its hasty treatment.
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