I want to address a topic that has generated a lot of confusion and debate in recent days: the Base Law and the Fiscal Package. This bill has been approved by the Chamber of Deputies and sent to the Senate for review, where modifications have been made. Now, it must return to the Lower House for final consideration.
Faced with this situation, many wonder: What is going to happen? What will finally be reflected in the law? To answer these questions, I decided to invite Dr. Lorenzo Barone, a renowned constitutionalist.
According to Dr. Barone, it is not a new situation that a project returns with modifications from the Senate to the Deputies. However, what is peculiar in this case is that the lower house has only two options: insist on its original version of the project or accept the corrections made by the Senate. You can’t just reject it.
The issue becomes even more complicated when we consider whether deputies can approve some parts of the modified bill and reject others. Although Article 81 of our Constitution seems to suggest that this is possible, the interpretation is unclear and there have been conflicting precedents in the past.
Another key question is whether there is any time limit for deputies to make a decision on the modified project. According to Barone, although there are some mandatory deadlines established in the internal regulations of Congress, there are no strictly defined deadlines in the Constitution itself.
Finally, even if the Chamber of Deputies manages to reach an agreement and approves the project, there is still the possibility that the President vetoes all or part of the law. This could open another round of negotiations and debates.
In summary, although it is certain that there will be a Base Law and Fiscal Package, it is still not clear exactly what it will be like. As always in politics, much will depend on the negotiations between the different actors involved. So stay tuned to this space for more updates on this crucial issue.
