Budget 2025: who are the governors that Javier Milei has not yet summoned

In less than a month, Javier Milei took a diplomatic turn in his relationship with the provinces and met face to face with 14 of the 24 governors with the aim of supporting the Budget 2025. The invitations focused on provincial leaders, wayward Peronists, PRO and radicals, all temporary allies of the Casa Rosada. However, within that platoon some important chiefs were left out, whose call-up is still unknown.

The presidential raid began with a barbecue in Olivos with Raul Jalil (Catamarca)Osvaldo Jaldo (Tucumán), Hugo Passalacqua (Missions) and Gustavo Saenz (Jump), continued with a lunch with the yellows Ignacio Torres (Chubut), Rogelio Frigerio (Entre Ríos), Jorge Macri (CABA), Marcelo Orrego (Saint John) and Claudio Poggi (San Luis) and, for the moment, culminated with another meal with the radicals Alfredo Cornejo (Mendoza), Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Gustavo Valdes (Currents), Carlos Sadir (Jujuy) and Leandro Zdero (Chaco).

These are provincial heads who, with nuances and at various times, showed a willingness to collaborate with the Government, being key to the approval of projects and the shielding of presidential vetoes in Congress. Given this scenario, and given the few structures of La Libertad Avanza (LLA), Milei took the initiative and began to weave personally with the bosses, always in the company of her squires Guillermo Francos, Karina Milei and Lisandro Catalán.

Who are the governors who are waiting for a call from Javier Milei?

In this area, the question now arises as to whether the call will be extended to other governors. Within the national board, the most belligerent opponents seem to be left out of the invitation. It is about Axel Kicillof (Buenos Aires), Ricardo Quintela (Rioja), Sergio Ziliotto (The Pampa), Gustavo Melella (Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands) and Gildo Insfran (Formosa), all from Unión por la Patria (UP). The Santiago native also emerges Gerardo Zamora that, although he signed the May Pact, he stood on the side against the President in all initiatives.

Although a call to the heavens to discuss the Budget seems difficult, the new Federal Reparation Regime launched by the Government is on the table, which seeks to compensate debts with provinces and vice versa through different tools. The measure cuts across the provinces, regardless of their political teams. Ziliotto, from Pampa, for example, had already announced his membership and was awaiting a call. “We are going to listen to what they propose and see if it is possible to dialogue and agree on something,” They commented from their surroundings.

Outside of that troop, other provincialist chiefs were fluctuating in their connection with the libertarian administration, collaborating sporadically with some proposals from the ruling party. Therefore, it would not be ruled out that the President summons them to talk. That remaining quartet is composed with Martin Llaryora (Córdoba) and the Patagonians Alberto Weretilneck (Black River), Rolando Figueroa (Neuquén) and Claudio Vidal (Santa Cruz).

The weight of his province – a great bastion of libertarian triumph – makes Llaryora one of the central figures. With Peronist roots, his return to the PJ Nacional is a chimera, especially after Cristina Kirchner will take the reins of the game. Thus, the Mediterranean balances between Cordobanism and the relationship with the Nation, with the expectation that its identity will not be liquefied by the anarcho-capitalist adventure.

This Tuesday, Llaryora shared an event with the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francosand to the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputoin which they inaugurated the La Carlota-Tío Pujio gas pipeline, 122 kilometers long, and enabled the reversal of the northern gas pipeline. That meeting was preceded by Milei’s landing in Córdoba last week to speak at an event of the Mediterranean Foundation.

Although it was not an official visit, it included a photo between the two leaders. Days ago, when meeting with representatives of the local Liaison Board, the governor had demanded from the Casa Rosada a reduction in withholdings and a new Biofuels law.

Armed with Patagonians

In southern lands they attend to their own chores. Currently, Weretilneck and Figueroa are pressuring the Government in tandem to participate in the bidding process for the Comahue dams, which the Nation seeks to privatize. The Neuquén leader has insisted for a long time on the payment of hydroelectric royalties owed by the Nation. “We owe a lot to the people of Neuquén with the hydroelectric royalties. Therefore, by virtue of the liquefaction of the royalties that different national governments have generated, I am committed to demanding today so that they begin to pay us,” mentioned weeks ago at an event in the town of Mariano Moreno. In both districts, Vaca Muerta also plays a determining factor.

For their part, the Rio Negro senators Silvina García Larraburu and Martin Donate and their Neuquén peers Silvia Sapag and Oscar Parrilliall from UP, demanded that the Government limit the sale of shares in the hands of Enarsa and Nucleoeléctrica SA, while They proposed that the remaining 50% remain for those two provinces and that the dollars that come from the sale of shares to private parties cannot be used to pay foreign debt. Specifically, they refer to the sale of hydroelectric plants Alicurá, Chocón, Cerros Colorados and Pierdra del Águila, that were recently converted into public limited companies, with the Decree 718/24.

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Allies: Alberto Weretilneck and Rolando Figueroa.

In Holy CrossMeanwhile, they are still waiting for the Government to sign Addendum XII that would allow the reactivation of works on the two hydroelectric dam projects with Chinese financing. In the heat of this demand, among others, sOur legislators play cat and mouse, distributing support and setbacks to the Casa Rosada in equal measure. Far from other times, the atomization of the league Patagonica took firepower away from the southerners, who had shown their teeth at the beginning of the year.

At the moment, in Balcarce 50 they realized that a call for another round of provincial chiefs was not on the agenda. A similar response was offered by the leaders consulted. A priori, the President focused his efforts on those with the greatest legislative volume. Public works, the state of the routes and cuts in various items continue to be some of the concerns of all of them.