Session to limit the DNU: the UCR does not come to the premises either and the quorum in Deputies falters

The pressure from the governors, both from the UCR and the PRO, took effect on Deputies in the midst of the negotiations of the provinces with the Casa Rosada for the distribution of items in the 2025 Budget. The opposition has around 134 votes to advance with the modification of law 26,122 that regulates the scope and validity of the DNU.

The intention of the opposition blocs is that the rejection of just one of the Chambers of Congress will be enough to rule out a DNU. Currently the law requires the rejection of Deputies and the Senate.

Fracture in the UCR

The UCR bloc led by Rodrigo de Loredo has just suffered the exodus of 12 deputies aligned with Facundo Manes and Martín Lousteau who abandoned the bacada and formed their own space “Democracy forever.” Julio Cobos, who formally integrates the De Loredo sector, also stands out and anticipated that he will come down to the venue to give the debate.

Javier Milei thus adds as allies in Deputies to the PRO of Cristian Ritondo who yesterday met with Mauricio Macri to anticipate that they will not provide a quorum in the special session this afternoon either. The Macrismo maintains that the opposition seeks to attack governability and that they are not willing to vote with Kirchnerism.

Also at the meeting of the PRO executive board were the head of the Buenos Aires government, Jorge Macri, the governor of Chubut, Ignacio Torres, and the governor of Entre Ríos -via zoom- who are in the middle of an unstable negotiation over debts of the co-participation and pension funds not transferred to the national government.

Added to the need for funds from the provinces are the negotiations for an incipient joint electoral set-up between La Libertad Avanza and the PRO. A macro agreement that the former president aspires to cover the definition of candidacies both in the province of Buenos Aires and in the Federal Capital.

The governors of the UCR such as Alfredo Cornejo (Mendoza), Gustavo Valdes (Corrientes), Leandro Zdero (Chaco) and Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe) are in the same situation. 18 days before the end of the ordinary session period in Deputies, the 2025 Budget remains open with a focus on the definition of the public works schedules in the provinces.

DNU limit

In parallel to the negotiation of the governors with the Casa Rosada for budget items, Javier Milei announced that he will veto the reform of law 26,122 to limit the DNU if it is approved by Congress. The majority ruling is promoted by Union por la Patria, the radicals of Democracia para Siempre and Miguel Pichetto’s Federal Encounter.

The majority office on the modification to the law that regulates the DNU has five articles and establishes that the decrees of necessity and urgency “will lose validity if they are not approved by resolution of both Chambers of Congress within a period of 90 calendar days counted from their publication”.

It also determines that in the event that the DNU are issued during the recess of Congress, “the Chambers may address their express and immediate treatment in accordance with article 99, paragraph 3, of the National Constitution.”

The main modification is that “the rejection by any of the Chambers of Congress of the decree in question implies its repeal, leaving the rights acquired during its validity safe.” Furthermore, the project establishes that “if a decree is rejected, the Executive Branch will not be able to issue a similar one in the same parliamentary period.”