In a session marked by intense debates and even scenes of violence caused by leftists outside Congress, the Argentine Senate approved this Wednesday night (12) the mega-Basic Law project proposed by Javier Milei’s government.
Approval came after more than 12 hours of discussions and a 36-36 vote tie, which required a tie-breaking vote from the vice president and president of the Senate, Victoria Villarruel, who was in favor.
The project, which proposes the deregulation of the economy and a strong fiscal adjustment in Argentina, is seen as a milestone in the administration of Milei, who has been in power for six months.
The approved text, however, underwent significant changes during negotiations prior to the vote, with the opposition guaranteeing changes to key articles. These changes, which include the withdrawal of some initially planned privatizations, will still be voted on in highlights, with the expectation of further adjustments to the reform package.
Despite the concessions, the government celebrated the approval as a “historic victory and a first step towards the recovery of Argentine greatness”, as expressed in an official statement published on the President’s Office profile on X (formerly Twitter). The Executive Branch highlighted “the patriotic work” of the senators who supported the law and hopes to count on their “continuous commitment to overcome the policies of failure and misery of the past”.
With approval in the Senate, the project now returns to the Chamber of Deputies, where it will be debated again taking into account the changes made. In the official statement, the Milei government signaled its intention to convene governors, former presidents, legislators and leaders of the main parties to sign a “historic pact”, called the May Pact, aiming to establish “fundamental policies for the future of Argentina”.
“Once the changes have been debated in the Honorable Chamber of Deputies and the legislative process has concluded, the president will call on governors, former presidents, legislators who supported the Base Law and leaders of the main parties to abandon old recipes for failure, forget political differences, embrace the ideas of freedom and establish ten policies to return the future to Argentines. This process will culminate with the signing of the May Pact, a historic commitment to lift Argentina from the abyss into which it was thrown by personal vendettas, petty interests and populist ideology over the last 100 years,” says the statement.
During the discussion of the megaproject, several leftists held a violent demonstration in front of the Senate. Police officers had to intervene to control the situation, classified by Milei as an “attempted coup d’état perpetrated by terrorists”.
#Argentine #Senate #approves #Mileis #megaproject