The Government negotiated until the last moment and sought to contain the support of the dialogue senators with the sole objective of avoid any leakage in votes that counted for the general approval of the Base Law and the fiscal package in the mega session called for this Wednesday. But rejection of Kirchnerism and two Santa Cruz residentsadded to The lack of support from Martín Lousteau cast doubt on the success of the ruling party.
Among the libertarians and the closest allies, they took it for granted that they had the number for the quorum (37 senators) and for the general sanction of the projects sent by the Government. They counted Lousteau among those presentsince the senator and head of radicalism announced that he was going to defend his ruling.
The Government was complicated with the turn of Santa Cruz residents José Carambia and Natalia Gadano who reduced their support for the Government’s proposals. As the legislator explained, the agreement with Milei’s management was for the signing of the opinion, but had not committed his vote to general support.
Carambia had signed the commission in exchange for an increase in mining royalties that would go from 3% to 5%. But apparently the senator, who has his own game in Congress without responding to Governor Claudio Vidal, distrusts that the measure will be approved. The mining lobby jeopardized the objective of the people of Santa Cruz and to this is added that in the Deputies, the ruling party claims to have the numbers to ratify the half-sanction.
In a message spread through social networks, Carambia and Gadano called for not having a quorum in this Wednesday’s session while demanding that retirement mobility be dealt with first, a proposal that has half the approval of Deputies, along with the fiscal package . The intention of the people of Santa Cruz is to guarantee the fall of the reversal of the Income Tax before moving forward with the Base Law that the Government demands.
The truth is that the senators’ decision generated more than concern among the ruling party and its allies because it left just the right numbers for the quorum. “I don’t know if the ruling party has the numbers, today there are 36 senators“said a speaker during the afternoon.
Faced with this sensation, Victoria Villarruel summoned Martín Lousteau in search of that legislator who would guarantee a quorum. And after the meeting the radical senator confirmed his presence in the room, giving some relief to the Government. Even without the support of the radical senator, the ruling party is confident that it will get the law approved, since in the worst case they would end up tied at 36 with the votes of the radicals, the PRO, La Libertad Avanza and the federals, leaving the definition in the hands of Villarruel.
However, nothing is guaranteed. If Kirchnerism manages to gather its own 33 and abstains, plus the two Santacr
The radicals want more changes in the Base Law
The conversations between the different blocks continued during the afternoon of Tuesday. The radicals met on the second floor to define the strategy. The first to arrive at the meeting was Lousteau and the only absentee was Rodolfo Suárez from Mendoza.
The first speculations speak that the UCR will contribute 13 of the 14 possible votes, including Edith Terenzi from Chubut, who was at the meeting even though she is in the Federal Change bloc. Meanwhile, Maximiliano Abad, who was still playing mystery, postponed any definition while waiting to see how the rest of the block was positioned.
The only casualty in the bloc led by Eduardo Vischi was that of Martín Lousteau, who ratified his intention to defend his minority opinion although he had not confirmed whether he would provide a quorum.
In principle, the UCR already anticipated that they will seek new modifications to what was signed in the opinion and, although there is no open negotiation with Kirchnerism, the unified opposition can turn the articlesalthough it is not guaranteed two-thirds to block an attempt by Deputies to impose the version of the half sanction.
They intend to modify the chapter linked to privatizations to allow senators to vote on each of the companies and thus exclude Aerolíneas Argentinas, Correo Argentino and public media. They also seek changes in the Large Investment Incentive Regime (RIGI). This scheme is rejected by the Government and can be modified when it returns to the Deputies if it does not win two-thirds in the Senate.
Kirchnerism celebrated the loss of the Santacruceños with a goal shout
But in a convulsed Senate, the news about the loss of the Santa Cruz residents was a fall from the sky for Kirchnerism, which celebrated the announcement by Carambia and Gadano calling for not giving a quorum as a victory goal.
They say it was Alicia Kirchner who appeared during the block meeting with her cell phone showing the video of the senators from her province rejecting the Government’s proposals and asking that progress be made first with the fiscal package to guarantee the increase in mining royalties.
If there is finally a session, it is almost certain that the restitution of Profits will be rejected like the privatizations, while delegated powers and RIGI are in doubt.
