President Javier Milei achieved a resounding political victory in a marathon and exhausting session in the Senate. He thus sent a signal of governability that the markets were waiting for, which had begun two weeks ago to turn on red lights in the price of the dollar, bonds and a jump in country risk. It was the consecration of the political negotiation led by the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, to leave the tiebreaker in the hands of Vice President Victoria Villarruel.
The head of state got on the plane that took him to the G7 meeting, certain that the task delegated to Francos had been accomplished. Milei had run away and left the task in the hands of the new coordinating minister to guarantee the necessary votes. He was free to offer works, resources, various demands and even the occasional embassy. Everything that was needed for the central thing to be approved: the delegated powers, the light labor reform or the RIGI, the famous Incentive Regime for Large Investments.
As Infobae revealed on Monday, Milei had decided to put the “leading effectiveness” presented by the senators at the head of the Chief of Staff. “Bases Law: Francos,” Milei responded on Sunday, when asked about the fate he expected in the upper house. Last week, even Karina Milei dedicated herself to other tasks. “The Boss” also left the field free.
This political victory implies, in fact, a double defeat for Kirchnerism. Beyond the street violence, the senators mentioned with Cristina Kirchner failed to block the agreements woven with secrecy with governors, some of the – until last night – granite block of 33. Guillermo Andrada from Catamarca, Sandra Mendoza from Tucumán and Carolina Moisés from Jujuy contributed for the 38 votes in favor. For the first time, something that had been ordering the functioning of Congress was in doubt: “In the morning there are 33, in the afternoon there are 33 and at night there are 33,” he told Infobae last week one of the most prominent figures of Unión por la Patria. Not anymore.
But the radical Martín Lousteau, who provided a quorum, was also key to starting the debate despite his willingness to vote against the project in general. And the Santa Cruz residents Natalia Gadano and José María Carambia, who had called on the senators not to meet and who first sat on their benches, and then left. With them out, the parity remained at 35 for the particular discussion. Governor Claudio Vidal, an oil unionist who defeated decades of Kirchnerist hegemony with sagacity and flexibility in making agreements, was no stranger to this strategy.
Gadano and Carambia had surprised everyone and everyone when they announced through a video on the social network X that they were not going to provide a quorum. It was Tuesday night and the news surprised Franco, who found out live, upon entering the meeting of the Conciencia Association, in a press conference. Minutes later, Infobae He showed the Chief of Staff the video where both senators anticipated their position. “No problem“Francos responded when this reporter asked him if the session that ended this morning with a resounding victory for the government was at risk.
With the approval of the Base Law and the fiscal package, the Government achieved a clear sign of governability and a demonstration that it is willing to successfully confront, both in Congress and on the street, the resistance proposed by Kirchnerism to its plans. It was essential that he arrived in Bari with that victory under his arm. It was going to be difficult to see the G7 leaders with the images of burning cars, political violence and on top of that a parliamentary defeat.
As Federico Millenaar anticipated in Infobae, in Deputies it is taken for granted that there will be a quick and smooth process. The radicals, led by Rodrigo De Loredo, are willing to give their support – after approving a retirement law that hit them in the back of the zero deficit – as are the provincials and the Centrão that represents Miguel Ángel Pichetto’s bloc.
