President Javier Mieli’s government sees the Senate as its best chance of success for advancing legislation through Congress. To that end, the Executive branch has decided to send to the upper house a package of its most substantial – and controversial – bills.
The confidence stems from the solid working majority assembled by Patricia Bullrich, La Libertad Avanza’s caucus chief in the upper house.
The former security minister has constructed a majority with the Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) Radicals, centre-right PRO, Provincias Unidas and provincial party senators from Misiones, Chubut, Salta, Neuquén and Santa Cruz, a tally estimated to be between 40 and 44 votes.
On some issues, the working majority can be boosted by three senators from Convicción Federal, a Peronist splinter group that has reduced the broader opposition inter-caucus to 25 members.
With that level of backing, the government has decided to introduce its key legislative initiatives through the Senate until further notice. This approach would ensure that, should the Chamber of Deputies amend any of the proposals after initial Senate approval, the upper house would retain the final say on each bill.
On the agenda
The Senate has a full parliamentary agenda ahead, not least the approval of some 90 judicial appointments to fill vacancies.
Priority bills – some of which have already been submitted – include in-depth reforms to spending on and care of the disabled and mentally ill, new rules regarding evictions and private property, and the removal of restrictions on foreign land ownership.
The Milei administration wants to mandate the compilation of a new registry of disability pension beneficiaries, based on stricter medical and socio-economic criteria. Individuals who fail to meet the updated requirements will have their payments suspended. The benefit will be set at 70 percent of the minimum pension, without supplementary payments, and will be incompatible with formal employment.
Authorities will also implement continuous data crosschecks with the ANSES social security agency and ARCA tax bureau, allowing for the preventive suspension of payments in cases of suspected irregularities.
Separately, proposed changes to mental health legislation would give greater weight on the judgment of psychiatrists. The revised framework would ease existing criteria, permitting involuntary admission to a psychiatric unit in cases where patients pose a grave risk to themselves or others. It would also allow individuals with substance abuse disorders to undergo treatment through either inpatient or outpatient care regimes.
Private property, land ownership
Two of the most contentious reforms proposed by the ruling La Libertad Avanza party focus on private property and environmental regulation.
A controversial bill on land ownership would remove the historic cap of 1,000 hectares on foreign purchases, allowing overseas buyers to acquire land nationwide without restrictions. Only foreign states and their affiliated agencies would be required to seek prior government authorisation.
The new norms strictly limit expropriations, potentially complicating efforts to formalise land tenure in low-income neighbourhoods. It would repeal the 10-year moratorium on evictions that had protected residents in vulnerable areas and eliminate the state obligation to reserve 25 percent of the infrastructural works to the community organisations in those neighbourhoods.
In parallel, the government is seeking to introduce expedited eviction procedures to speed up the recovery of private assets. Notice period for payment would be reduced from 10 days to three, while property owners would be able to complete eviction proceedings within five days by presenting title deeds alone, removing the need for additional guarantees.
Finally, the reform wipes out with a single stroke existing environmental protections established under Argentina’s firefighting legislation. Current restrictions – including a 60-year ban on the sale of wetlands, protected areas and native forests affected by fire, as well as a 30-year prohibition on changing the productive use of burned farmland – would be entirely abolished.
Customs Code changes on way?
Concerns are mounting across trade and labour sectors that the government is preparing changes to the Customs Code, potentially easing controls on imports and exports.
The overhaul is said to be under the remit of the Deregulation & State Transformation Ministry, led by Federico Sturzenegger, who has yet to comment publicly.
Speculation gathered pace earlier this month after Customs workers warned that officials were working on measures to “loosen controls” – a shift which could significantly reduce the monitoring of goods entering and leaving the country.
Customs staff convened a meeting earlier this month with more than 20 business chambers and foreign trade groups. Labour leaders have also entered the debate, saying their workers are highly trained employees who perform a “strategic” function within the state.
Officials, for their part, have declined to comment on the reported reforms. However, sources suggest any changes could draw on more permissive regulatory frameworks similar to those in place in the United States.
–TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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