Law-making dropped in Milei's second year in office

Argentina’s Congress closed out the year 2025 marked by confrontation and administrative paralysis.

With scarcely 11 laws approved during ordinary sessions and two in extraordinary, the year marked the lowest legislative productivity in the last 10 years. That fact reflected a scenario of extreme polarisation with a government in minority and the opposition managing to impose its own emergency agenda.

The report at the close of the year reveals one striking aspect – of the few norms which saw the light of day, none was a bill originally presented by the government during ordinary sessions – i.e. between March 1 and November 30.

Of the 11 laws approved, eight were opposition initiatives (like the University Financing bill, pension increases and the so-called ‘Ley Nicolás’ against medical malpractice) and three were international agreements left over from the previous administration.

Only two approved in extraordinary sessions on December 26 were pushed by the government: the 2026 Budget and the Law of Fiscal Innocence.

Veto heavy

President Javier Milei vetoed laws on seven occasions. Nevertheless, defying presidential authority, Congress managed to overturn three of those vetoes, upholding those laws despite the rejection of the man in charge of the Casa Rosada.

The opposition used an infrequent technical tool to force debate – sending bills to committee. While the annual peak was historically three, this was registered 20 times in 2025, obliging Milei’s government to discuss issues it would prefer to avoid.

For the first time in years, Congress fully displayed its teeth to the government, rejecting four decrees based on delegated prerogatives and a DNU emergency decree, limiting the President’s margin for manoeuvre.

The report of the Legislative Directorate further showed that of the 22 sessions held, half were special, making evident the lack of agreements to establish a common parliamentary agenda.

Despite this panorama of numerical weakness, the government trusts in the new composition of Congress after the October midterms (already permitting the approval of the 2026 Budget on December). With its newly bolstered ranks in Congress, Milei is betting on changing the dynamics of "defence" to "attack," potentially allowing the government to recover the legislative initiative in 2026.

– TIMES/NA