The lower house of Argentina’s government, known as the Chamber of Deputies, has granted general approval to President Javier Milei’s comprehensive reform bill in a vote on Friday, following several days of discussion. This sets the stage for a final vote in the Senate.
The highly debated reform package was passed with 144 votes in favor and 109 votes against.
Members of the lower house of parliament will vote on each individual part of the proposed legislation, starting on 6 February. However, with the overall approval, it is likely that the bill will now move on to the upper house in some capacity.
In recent days, demonstrators holding flags and against Milei’s changes have engaged in multiple confrontations with police officers stationed outside the classical congressional building with a green dome. Some have even thrown rocks at the officers.
The large bill plays a crucial role in Milei’s efforts to reform Argentina’s struggling economy, which is facing challenges such as inflation over 200%, low foreign currency reserves, and a looming deadline for debt payments to creditors and investors.
The changes included in the legislation cover a variety of areas, from economic strategies to the transfer of state-owned organizations to private ownership. These reforms are a significant component of Milei’s efforts to address the severe economic crisis in the South American nation and prevent the depletion of government funds.
After a lengthy and intense discussion in the lower house, the vote was taken, with members of the primary center-left opposition party, Union por la Patria, expressing strong opposition to Milei’s proposals while urging them to not block the bill.
Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, has a limited number of seats in the 257-seat chamber. However, they were able to gather enough support from similar allies, including the main centre-right coalition of parties, Juntos por el Cambio, to push the bill forward.
Last week, the government led by Milei removed controversial spending reforms from the fiscal section of the bill, resulting in a successful tactic to increase its support.
Source: theguardian.com
