With last-minute allies, the Government achieved a victory and ratified the veto of the pension reform

The opposition achieved a majority in the House, but To overturn Javier Milei’s veto, 166 votes were needed (two thirds of the 248 legislators present, given that 9 were absent) and the balance was 153 in favor, 87 against and 8 abstentions. In this context, The current pension system established by decree remains in force by the Government in the month of March.

In this sense, the blocks of radicalism and Federal Innovation, which respond to the governors of Salta, Río Negro and Misiones, were key. The UCR was in the spotlight: After having provided 32 votes in favor (2 absent) in the original approval, this Wednesday its balance was 26 in favor, 5 abstentions and 2 absent. (one member resigned from his seat). In addition, The eight members of Federal Innovation abstained, after they voted unanimously in favor in June.

At the beginning of the session, the following was carried out: The swearing in of Entre Ríos native Nancy Ballejos in place of the radical Pedro Galimbertiwho resigned from his seat to take charge of the Salto Grande Joint Technical Commission. Referenced with Together for Change, the brand new legislator – lawyer and official of the Ministry of the Interior during the administration of Alberto Fernández – could join the Federal Encounter bloc or the PRO: If this second path is taken, the yellow bench would be the second largest.

In turn, the following minutes occurred with criticism towards the Presidency of the Chamber – headed by Martín Menem – for not having called a meeting of Parliamentary Labor which made it impossible to pre-arrange how the session would be conducted. Within this framework, the deputies agreed to establish a time limit for interventions.

Veto on pensions: how the deputies voted

• In favor of Javier Milei’s veto (87): 37 from La Libertad Avanza, 34 from PRO (3 absent), 5 from the Radical Civic Union (Campero, Cervi, Arjol, Tournier and Picat), 3 from Independencia, 3 from MID, 2 from Buenos Aires Libre, 2 from Production and Labor and 1 from Creo.
• Abstentions (8): 7 from Federal Innovation (1 absent) and 1 from FE.
• Against Javier Milei’s veto (153): 98 from Union for the Homeland (1 absent), 26 from the Radical Civic Union (2 absent), 14 from Federal Encounter (2 absent), 6 from Civic Coalition, 5 from the Left Front, 2 from For Santa Cruz, 1 from PRO (Álvaro González) 1 from the Neuquén Popular Movement.

Veto on pensions: how the debate went in the House of Representatives

The first speakers were those deputies from benches with few members who support the reversal of Milei’s veto. In addition to left blocks and of Through Santa Cruzthe intervention of the ex-libertarian drew attention Lourdes Arrietawho anticipated his abstention on the pension reform: “I supported our President and believed that the adjustment would be for the caste and those who keep the State’s business, but not for the retirees.“I think we can find a way to compensate our retirees without considering them part of the tax liabilities,” he added.

Former allies of the Government expressed criticism of the Government’s actions, as was the case of Maximiliano Ferraro (Civic Coalition) who pointed out that “Those of us who were voted for Together for Change are betraying the mandate “For which we were elected, if we do not give an answer to the retirees.” “It is not only the fiscal adjustment that we must sacrifice ourselves in, but also in economic and social predictability,” he said. Miguel Pichetto (Federal Meeting), whose bloc also rejects the veto.

The articulation of the national Government with the provincial leaders was replicated in the position of abstention taken by the block of Federal Innovationrepresented by deputies from provincialist parties. “We fully understand what the Government would have to do with voting against this political decision of this president, and we understand that The last thing our country needs is to vote against that decision; but we are not going to validate that decision either.“, he said in his speech Augustine Sunday.

The moment of the radicalism’s interventions was one of the most awaited, given that it was the block that presented the Integrated Retirement and Pension System But this week some of its members anticipated that they would support the presidential veto of that same project. In this regard, one of the most energetic speeches was that of Paul Juliano“The Radical Civic Union did not have the whim of wanting to fiscally condemn the Government that is going too far because the real effort is being made by the Argentine people. […] We must be responsible. Those who abstain and those who change their votes will have to give explanations.”

In turn, Cristian Ritondo (PRO) criticized Rodrigo de Loredo (UCR) having agreed with Union for the Fatherland on the pension system approved in June and then pointed against the entire bloc: “Learn from the education that radicals always had, since they do not have partisan behavior”“We believe that one of the bases for change in Argentina is fiscal responsibility, so every law that we pass in this Congress is based on the knowledge of where we get the votes from,” he said.

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Deputies during the session on the veto of pensions.

In closing, German Martinez (Union for the Homeland) He stated that “we came with the same coherence that made us sit in commissions that we had not requested and that made us provide opinions that allow confluences in the chamber” and then pointed against those who modified their vote: “There are chances if those who voted in favor in June or those who in the name of Peronism went to elections in their provinces accompany“Where is your face?”