The Senate of the Nation began the second day of treatment of the Bases law and the fiscal package in plenary session of committees. Today, the Secretary of Labor stated, Julio Corderoand the Secretary of Energy, Eduardo Rodríguez Chirillo. Later, the Secretary of the Treasury appeared again, Carlos Gubermanalong with his team.
The questions for Cordero were focused on the modifications in labor laws, while for Rodríguez Chirillo he received questions from the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI) to the changes in the Hydrocarbons law and the flexibility of the market. Yesterday, the kickoff had been given by the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Francos, together with the Deputy Chief of Staff, José Rolandi.
The Secretary of Labor, Employment and Social Security of the Nation, Julio Corderodefended the Bases law by maintaining that it is a regulation that was arrived at with “consensus.”
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The Senate began the treatment of the Bases Law amid accusations from Unión por la Patria
For Cordero, who was the first to open this Wednesday’s round, ““It simply reflects the foundations for a new vibrant Argentina.”. Along these lines, and in his opinion, Argentina “has to regain the confidence” that led it “to be a wonderful country” and added: “It is already felt in the streets”.
In turn, Cordero emphasized that the Bases law aims to generate “employment and provide legal security.”
Yesterday, the senator and leader of Unión por la Patria, Juliana Di Tullio (Buenos Aires), had pointed out against the modifications in this aspect and anticipated that they would request the presence of the three labor confederations: the CGT and the two CTA.
Kueider’s claim for debt with power generators
The senator Edgardo Kueider (Entre Ríos) took advantage of the presence of Rodríguez Chirillo to claim for the debt that the Nation maintains with the energy generators.
Senate: Union for the Homeland prepares to vote against the Bases Law
As Kueider specified, the Government has “five months of debt” and assured that Entre Ríos companies find it “impossible to operate.” Rodríguez Chirillo quickly left the crossroads and maintained that they are “working” in that direction.
This morning, the Executive made official the payment regime to settle the debt held by the Wholesale Electricity Market Administration Company (Cammesa) with the generating companies, through Resolution 58/2024 published this Wednesday in the Official Gazette.
In turn, the Association of Electric Energy Generators of the Argentine Republic (AGEERA) rejected the bonus that the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputotries to impose on companies in the sector to cancel these debts.
Fernández Sagasti and Recalde questioned the labor reform and the stoppage of the Carem nuclear reactor
The senator Anabel Fernandez Sagasti (Mendoza) and the senator Mariano Recalde (CABA), both Kirchnerists, questioned the Secretary of Labor, Julio Cordero, about the labor reform included in the Bases law and which obtained half a sanction last week in Deputies.
Unión por la Patria denounced that the Bases Law entered the Senate with “alterations” regarding what Deputies voted for
For Fernández Sagasti, the Government’s plan is the “tax, labor and environmental flexibility” and continued: “The evaders benefit, the fines, the criminal lawsuits are removed; A money laundering system is created, but the so-called retirement moratorium is eliminated.”
Along these lines, he charged against the Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo: “They are messing with the sustainability fund, the retirees’ money. The retirees’ money is going to be in the hands of (Luis) Caputo, very dangerous. If there is someone who likes timba it is ‘Toto’ Caputo”.
Minutes before, Recalde lashed out: “They seek to maximize profits and ensure that workers do not ask for anything.. “How do they think that with the trial period, the removal of fines – like in the ’90s that failed – they will achieve different results.”
Later, the woman from Mendoza pointed out against the Government’s nuclear policy, and made a proposal about the interruption of the construction of the Carem nuclear reactor. Rodríguez Chirillo announced that nuclear power plants will continue, although he hinted that it should be with private funds and with a model to explain it.
Day 150: Senators, without much time and little space
The problem that this reactor has, according to the official, is that it requires almost 200 million dollars annually, and he stressed that “it is not a small amount.” “The economic model by which Carem can be exploited is not yet in place,” he observed, pointing out that the Government is looking for an economic model where there is an interested party.
“It will have to be finished with a little private and public funds. Without knowing what it is going to be exploited for, if private funds are obtained and people interested in saying that ‘when it is finished I want a model to be able to exploit it’, perfect,” he concluded.
The hard intersection between Paoltroni and Mayans: “Stop saying nonsense”
A hard intersection was recorded again between the senators Francisco Paoltronifrom LLA, and Jose Mayans (UxP). It all started when the libertarian attacked the management of the Peronist governor Gildo Insfranwho has been in power for 29 years: “Formosa hates private activity, the investment. They hate generating wealth because they know it is the way to get people out of poverty. Senator Mayans requested data: Formosa is the province with the fewest private employees in the country“.
And he added a strong accusation: “The senator is from Clorinda, opposite Asunción (Paraguay), two and a half million inhabitants, the city with the most smuggling, they got tired of passing gasoline, merchandise, that’s why they love the exchange gap. They act as a whole business, they tripled the smuggling of gasoline to Paraguay, it bothers them because we are touching everyone’s business“.
“To close, I hope that Senator Mayans does not come to hit me like he hit Congressman (Carlos) Cantón in Formosa when he defended indefinite re-election, there is an age difference and they taught me to return it when I was little,” Paoltroni concluded.
Between murmurs and discomfort from several senators, Mayans – visibly angry – asked to speak: “I regret the senator’s expressions, it seems to me that he has an obsession. He is angry with me but what happens is that he was a candidate and got 8% of the votes and “The other one took 70% of the votes and all the nonsense he says has nothing to do with the law we are dealing with.”
And he concluded: “It is time for him to stop talking nonsense and to dedicate himself to the project we are dealing with. Let Senator Paoltroni stop talking nonsense.”
The times that were planned in the ruling party are complicated
Throughout a treatment that has already lasted two full days, there were many senators from UxP as well as from radicalism or other blocs who expressed their disagreement with the government spreading its idea of obtaining an “express treatment” in the three commissions where This is about, aiming for a ruling this Thursday, May 9, and the vote in the chamber for the following Thursday, the 16th.
That idea was always under the logic of reaching the so-called “May Pact“on the 25th in Córdoba with the presence of Javier Milei and governors with the law already sanctioned in both chambers.
The big difference that they accuse from the upper house is that the Deputies “had 4 months to work on this law”, while in the Senate they did not. Although the government has already shown itself willing to negotiate with legislators, any modification that is wanted to be introduced (and there are already several who have indicated that they would request this) must return to Deputies, which transforms the May 25 plan into An utopia.
The government believes that it is “in a position to obtain the approval of the Bases law”
The Minister of the Interior of the Nation, Guillermo Francos, assured this Wednesday that The Government is “in a position to obtain the approval of the law”, who already has the half sanction in Deputies.
In addition, he acknowledged that “the Union for the Homeland bloc has a contrary position, about 30 deputies, it is a significant number,” but maintains that La Libertad Avanza has “a majority to approve it.”
The national official pointed out that “everyone in the Government is working to get the law passed.” “We have modified many topics of the law to achieve basic agreementswhich would allow her to be sanctioned,” he assured.
Along these lines, he maintained: “We have reduced delegated powers to reorganize the State, make it more efficient, future investments, incentive regime that will generate economic activity. I have the enormous expectation that the Senate will end up approving it.”
“It is a shame not to be able to reach an understanding with the Union for the Homeland bloc, but each one is responsible for the positions they take,” Francos said on radio. Network.
JD /
