Almost three months after the Argentine Congress endorsed and, a few days later, rejected the ambitious “omnibus” law of far-right president Javier Milei, the lower house once again validated the project, although with substantial changes compared to the original proposal. However – and in the absence of ratification by the Senate in the coming days – the text will allow Milei to advance in the deregulation and partial dismantling of the Argentine State.
The original project had about 600 articles and the one that was finally approved, just over 200. However, it will allow the labor reform to be carried out, the privatization of state companies, the dismantling of public organizations, modifying the pension regime or a reform tax to attract large investments that includes a tax amnesty to regularize black money. The law also grants special powers to the president, who for one year may exercise legislative functions based on the declaration of “public emergency” in administrative, economic, financial and energy matters.
The energy aspect is remarkable because, in addition to hydrocarbons – Argentina is a producer – it aims to increase investments for the exploitation of lithium in the north of the country, which guarantees the support of the senators who respond to the northern provincial governors.
Milei's party, La Libertad Avanza, only has 38 seats in the lower house, but the so-called Law of Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentines, had the favorable vote of the majority of deputies from the groups that are most closer to the ideological option of the president than to the opposition Peronism: the Macrista Republican Proposal (Pro) and the Radical Civic Union (UCR), in addition to the more conservative Peronism.
The text was approved in general with 142 votes in favor, 106 against and 5 abstentions. The debate began on Monday at noon (local time) and continued during a marathon uninterrupted session of more than 26 hours that ended on Tuesday.
In February, the project was also approved in general by Congress, but the following week it was defeated in the vote by articles, unleashing one of Milei's frequent attacks of anger, with virulent attacks on the deputies who rejected his proposal, especially against non-Peronist legislators. Instead, on Tuesday he seemed satisfied and tweeted that "this is a fundamental first step to get Argentina out of the morass that has been the last few decades," thanking the legislators who supported the law for having understood "the historic moment."
If finally ratified by the Senate, the law will allow the privatization of state companies such as Aerolíneas Argentinas, public radio and television or Correos. Milei obtained the endorsement of reluctant deputies in exchange for not privatizing companies like YPF or saving a handful of state organizations, out of the hundred that will be dismantled. Among those that are saved are the National Scientific Research Council (Conicet) or the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA); Among those that would close, is the National Genetic Data Bank, which stores the genetic profiles of people who disappeared during the dictatorship and whose work is key to the identification of their remains and, above all, to the recovery of the identity of dozens of people. who, as babies, were stolen by the military.
