MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

May Pact in doubt after Thursday's outcome at the Senate, warns Milei

Milei said he was confident the DNU would get through the Lower House and remain in force

Argentine President Javier Milei said Friday that Thursday's Senate setback casted doubts on the signing of the so-called May Pact he launched during his State of the Nation speech on March 1. The Upper House voted by 42 to 25 and 4 abstentions against Milei's most-encompassing emergency Decree (DNU) 70/23 which will nonetheless remain in force pending the Lower House's decision.

“We are going to give that fight and we are confident that it will go through,” Milei said in a reassuring tone. A positive result would keep the measure alive barring any declaration of unconstitutionality by the courts.

In Milei's view, the Senate's results proved that “there are people more concerned with maintaining their caste privileges than with moving Argentina forward.” However, “the DNU is still in force,” he underlined while recalling that he had warned before the Legislative Assembly that if they wanted to confront there would be a confrontation. “There are some who have decided the path of confrontation; it was within the expected results,” the head of state noted.

He also admitted that a shorter version of the so-called Omnibus (or Basic) Law bill was being drafted. That document's Parliamentarian approval will also be a “precondition” for the signing of the May Pact. “Any point must be validated by the Ministry of Economy under the premise of zero deficit,” Milei insisted. He also denied any personal discrepancies with Vice-President Victoria Villarruel and explained that when he spoke about those who pressed to include the DNU on the Senate's agenda for Thursday he aimed at “the caste, not Victoria.”

“But there are media interested in damaging the Government,” he added.

The DNU “expands citizens' freedom and goes towards more competitive markets,” Milei argued in a radio interview Friday.

Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni admitted Friday that Thursday's outcome at the Senate was foreseen at Casa Rosada. He also underlined that those who voted in favor of the DNU “sided with the good Argentines” while the others did not understand what the people were asking for.