University financing: the Government’s strategy to reduce the political cost of the veto

In Balcarce 50 they seek to reduce the political cost of the veto promoted by Javier Mileisince they still remember the massive turnout on April 23, when thousands of people took to the streets to protest the critical state of the universities.

In that sense, The ruling party will stretch the decision to veto the law to the edge of the time limit, since October 3 is the last day it has within the legal deadlines to execute it.. It is worth remembering that the organizations that make up the university community called to mobilize at Congress for October 2 at 5 p.m., while they resolved to finalize a I stop on the 26th and 27th of this month.

Furthermore, in the Government They try to achieve a joint improvement before issuing the presidential veto. In that sense, during Wednesday’s day they held “telephone conversations” with authorities from the National University Council.

Next week’s mobilization will be second federal university march against the Government after the massive mobilization to Plaza de Mayo that students, teachers, unions, legislators and opposition leaders carried out the April 23 last in rejection of the budget cut that Milei’s management had implemented, and that had to be deactivated.

What the university financing law says

With 57 votes in favor, 10 against and 1 abstention, the Senate approved the University Financing Law two weeks ago. The norm provides for an increase in the budget items for the operation of higher education institutions, while at the same time an update in the salaries of teachers and non-teachers.

The project sanctioned by the Senate obliges the Executive Branch to update the budget items to cover operating, research and extension expenses in the universities, and establishes that every two months the Government must adjust the budgets of the universities according to inflation.

The measure would generate a fiscal impact of $735,598 millionwhich implies 0.14% of GDP, as reported by the Congressional Budget Office.

In return, The 2025 Budget presented by Milei authorizes a total expenditure for national universities of $3.8 billion and, if approved, it would enable an audit scheme with which the Ministry of Human Capital could suspend transfers. This It is close to half of what the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) asks for to keep the study houses operating, which is $7.2 billion.