Argentine President Javier Milei made a comment on Wednesday, September 11, on the subject of pensions, while a demonstration abroad against his ultra-liberal policies led to clashes.
The Chamber of Deputies, by a comfortable margin, did not invalidate the presidential veto imposed ten days ago on a law approved by the Senate, which provided for a recovery of pensions seriously affected during the first months of Milei’s administration by the devaluation and budget austerity.
The text envisaged a recovery of 8.1% – the minimum pension in Argentina is 225,454 pesos, or approximately 210 euros –, independently of the future pension system, which will now be indexed to inflation. Milei was strongly opposed to this push, accusing the senators of irresponsibility that will be paid for in points of growth.
Drastic austerity policy
Since December 2023, the president has implemented a drastic austerity policy that has resulted in several monthly budget balances, unprecedented in fifteen years in Argentina, but also in a strong recession (-3.5% expected by the end of 2024).
To be overridden, the presidential veto would have required two-thirds of each House to vote against it. Among the deputies, Milei – whose small libertarian party is in the minority – managed to gather elected officials from the moderate opposition (centre and centre-right) to overcome the required third, and his veto prevailed.
In a message on his account X congratulated the deputies who joined, “heroes who put a stop to the degenerate prosecutors who tried to destroy the balanced budget that Argentines worked so hard to achieve”.
“We can’t spend what we don’t have”During the debate, Deputy Juliana Santillán, from the presidential party, repeated one of the Head of State’s favorite slogans: “There is no money!” (“There is no money!”).
“We are debating 15,000 pesos, or a dozen empanadas, for each withdrawal!”On the other hand, the radical Rodrigo de Loredo (opposition, centrist) was outraged, a supporter of catching up with the retirees who suffered “a violent adjustment”.
Tear gas and plastic bullets.
Outside parliament, security forces, deployed in large numbers, had prepared for a risky mass demonstration, at the request of unions and social movements close to the Peronist opposition or the radical left. In April, hundreds of thousands of people mobilised to defend the public university, leading the government to partially reverse its funding.
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On Wednesday, although the demonstration was less intense than expected, there were sporadic clashes with small groups of demonstrators in the late afternoon and the police used tear gas and plastic bullets, Agence France-Presse (AFP) noted. The demonstration was eventually dispersed. Several media reported twelve injured, including three hospitalised according to the newspaper. The Nationfigures not confirmed by an official source in the early afternoon. Three people were arrested for rebellion, a source from the Ministry of Security confirmed to AFP.
After nine months in government and in a context of slowing inflation (between 4% and 5% per month for four months), Milei maintains a positive image in the polls, hovering around 50%. He was elected in December 2023 with 55% of the vote. The government hopes to reduce inflation, contained to less than 130% this year, compared to 211% in 2023.
