The Milei plan collides with unions and politics and takes refuge in the business community

From former president Cristina Fernández to figures of radicalism, Milei’s plan for the reconstruction of the Argentine economy announced this Wednesday is generating strong political and social rejection that goes beyond the discontent expressed in the streets by social organizations and advocacy groups. citizens who spontaneously support calls on social networks.

This circumstance places in serious trouble the new president’s desire to implement a stabilization plan through the approval of a decree of urgent need (DNU) that contains more than 300 reforms with which he intends, in one fell swoop, to lay the foundations for the reconstruction of the Argentine economy through economic deregulation and the reversal of the fiscal deficit.

“We must read the complete Constitution, we must not confront Argentines with Argentines,” claimed former president Cristina Fernández, (2007-2015) who criticized Milei for placing emphasis on repressing riotous protests instead of guaranteeing the rights of the Argentines.

“When democracy (in Argentina) is celebrating forty years of continuity, our country is witnessing an event of extreme institutional gravity never seen before. The Executive Branch, in an act of clear abuse of power, has advanced on the exclusive powers of the Legislative Branch,” tweeted former President Alberto Fernández (2019-2023).

“Since his inauguration, the president and his Minister of Economy (Luis Caputo) have repeated false data trying to create a scenario of chaos to justify the destruction of the State and the rights of workers,” Milei’s predecessor complained in the Head of state.

A long decree

And it is not only former Peronist leaders who question the intentions of the libertarian leader. In Parliament there is unanimous consideration that the Argentine president will have serious difficulties in getting his plan approved due to the fact that Milei has chosen to sign a decree of necessity and urgency (DNU) of 82 pages and 366 articles that can only be be approved or rejected in its entirety, instead of proposing the reforms one by one.

“The president should replace this invalid DNU with a ‘mirror law’ that can be voted on by chapters, and call extraordinary (sessions) to give it urgent treatment. Thus, positive reforms, which will have consensus, can be sanctioned and those that are not, can be avoided,” proposed Senator Martín Lousteau.

“Respect for institutions prevents abuses that harm society,” stressed the president of the Radical Civic Union, a party that has a wide representation of both legislators and governors.

In Republican Proposal (PRO), a center-right party founded by former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) and some of whose leaders occupy prominent positions in the Milei Administration, the discussion of the Government’s economic plan is yet to be defined.

“In this fragile and threatening moment, we have to be aware of the urgency of taking brave measures. Failure to do so exposes us to the risk of hyperinflation that could be devastating for the lives of millions of Argentines,” Macri warned.

Union rejection

In the union world, however, voices of rejection of the economic stabilization plan are growing louder. The labor confederations consider that the Executive’s measures cut labor and social rights.

The Peronist General Central of Workers (CGT) December 27 in which it will demand its repeal

The CGT, which will present an action in court to annul the DNU, rejects the measures proposed by the Executive, which directly impact labor legislation, deregulate broad sectors of economic activity and also reduce the organizations’ capacity for influence and collection. unions.

Businessmen support the proposals.

On the opposite side, business associations have expressed strong support for the fiscal adjustment and deregulation proposed by the Milei Government.

Both the Argentine Business Association (AEA), the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) and the Argentine Chamber of Commerce (CAC), showed their support for the decree, which seeks to transform “all” state companies into public limited companies for their “later privatization.” “. “, in order to deregulate the Argentine economy.

“The beginning of the new Government generates hope that our country can reverse a long period characterized by economic stagnation, very high inflation rates and a very significant increase in poverty,” said the AEA.

Meanwhile, the UIA valued the fact that “the included modifications promote the creation of formal employment, guarantee the provision of essential services of transcendental importance, while expressly sanctioning blockades of companies.”

For its part, the CAC expressed its agreement with President Milei “regarding the harms of an omnipresent State, which suffocates the private sector and thus condemns our country to backwardness, and the need to deregulate many aspects of our economy.” .

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive night, the pot-banging and spontaneous demonstrations in repudiation of the Government’s announcement spread through some of the country’s main cities such as Rosario, Córdoba, La Plata, Bariloche and Buenos Aires, where hundreds of people once again gathered in front of the National Congress.