March 1st Javier Milei opened a new period of regular sessions in Congress. After a hectic summer, where grievances and crossfire with the governors were the norm, The President hit the brakes and surprised everyone with the call for the May Pact. Just over 20 days later, from the city of Córdoba, Milei announced that, in parallel with this initiative, the May Council, an organ aimed at promoting structural reforms for the country.
This body was established by decree and, on paper, would consist of the designation of one representative per sector –of the Government, Deputies, the Senate, the provinces, the unions and the businessmen – with the objective of drafting bills agreed upon by the main political and economic actors in the country. Today, just over three months after its creation – which occurred in mid-July via the Official Gazette – its current status is in limbo and its future is unknown.
May Council: paralysis and skepticism of governors
At the moment, the May Council It is nothing more than a label. At the Casa Rosada they report that their two representatives have already been selected. On the one hand, the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francosserves as its president; on the other hand, the Nation appointed the Minister of Deregulation, Federico Sturzeneggerin the seat that corresponds to the national State.
“The Government presented its two people. The rest of the entities must also present theirs,” They pointed to Scope official sources. In fact, the last big news in this regard was the appointment of Sturzenegger, which took place at the beginning of August. In this way, Balcarce 50 passed the ball to the other people involved, who do not acknowledge the paralysis of the space.
Among the vacant posts, the seat designated to one of the 24 governors is of special interest. It happens that, in the heat of the chainsaw plan and the constant sparks between the libertarian administration and the provinces, The chosen one will have to be the leader of a host of diverse claims, including reduction of funds, paralysis of public works, maintenance of routes and removal of transport subsidies, among others.
This provincial leader will also have to mediate on a map where leaders from Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), Peronism and the provincialisms coexist, each of them with their own particularities. “How do you get a representative to go and speak on behalf of all the governors, with the differences that each region has, with the needs and so on? There is no way.”they complained to this medium from the orbit of a yellow chief. “A lot of talk and little action,” added the voice.
Skepticism is repeated in each of the districts consulted by this medium.“This topic is very cold,” They indicated from a Patagonian jurisdiction, where they considered that the formation of the May Council could be tied to the negotiations for the 2025 Budget, which have already begun with important sparks in the Government and the subnational administrations. “The truth is that nobody was interested,” another provincial official added, disbelieving.
That spirit, which runs through the JxC governors and the dialoguing provincialisms, is not shared by the most opposition Peronism, where they did not even show interest in both the May Pact and the consequent body. “We don’t even know what that is,” They had declared with sarcasm from offices in La Plata during the dance of names to elect a federal representative“Nobody really knows what it would be used for either,” added the environment of a celestial provincial chief.
The truth is that, although the Government does not take responsibility for the election of the other representatives, some names generate more sympathy than others. As he said Scopeamong the favorites of the Casa Rosada was the Entre Ríos native Rogelio Frigerioone of those who showed the best harmony with Javier Milei from the very beginning. Because of his past as Interior Minister, the PRO leader is well-versed in the architecture of the provinces and is highly regarded by both opponents and allies. He also maintains a direct line to Mauricio Macri.
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Another “friendly” name for the libertarian troop is that of the radical Alfredo Cornejofrom Mendoza, a province that the President visited just a few weeks ago. Beyond the general clashes, the Cuyo leader has built up an acceptable relationship with La Libertad Avanza (LLA) and is leading his second term (not consecutive) at the head of an important district. It is also a direct connection between the UCR “with a wig”, willing to strengthen ties with the official camp.
Within the non-Cambiemita lottery, some figures stand out. The Peronist Osvaldo Jaldo (Tucumán), for example, broke with Union for the Fatherland (UP) in Congress to support the Bases law and since then has been painted purple on the national stage. The provincialist Gustavo Saenz (Salta) also distanced itself from the UP league to maintain an autonomous relationship with the national government and did not have any major head-on clashes with the nation.
Turbulence with the provinces
In recent weeks, Milei has immersed herself in the political arena and has personally led negotiations with allied forces in order to avoid setbacks in Congress. Thus, meetings with radical and PRO legislators, mainly, became a recurring theme in the presidential office. The controversial barbecue at the Quinta de Olivos was also part of this back and forth.
The delay in time was not good for LLA. After the “summer” due to the approval of the Bases law and the Fiscal Package, and with a strong photo in the May Pactthe formation of the Council was postponed and now the leaders are showing their teeth in the midst of a give-and-take over the Budget. The request for a US$60 billion adjustment to the provinces sparked anger. “The joke that it’s all about the governors is going to end,” they trusted from the Great North.
The 30-day deadline for the body to be formed has already expired and all the camps are awaiting gestures from the other side. The same scenario is repeated among the ranks of the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the business community and also Congress, where, far from electing their representatives, the tasks are different these days.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
