Pressed by resources. The governors accept Milei’s call, but refuse to sign a closed book pactBy Gabriela Origlia

CÓRDOBA.- The immediate answer, the one that comes out of the mouth, is “yes.” But then most governors admit that they must “process” the call of Javier Milei has a ““great political pact”which he launched on Friday amid criticism of the political leadership. The President invited people to sign and “approve” his ten-point ideology, but the provincial leaders want see the “fine print” y contribute your positions. Furthermore, they want the call to start dialogue is in the “short term.” From the provinces they remember that, starting tomorrow, the Congress agenda was no longer managed by the Executive Branch and, in ordinary sessions, the opposition could achieve two-thirds to approve its own projects and set limits for the Government. Milei’s summons opened a truce.

The new start line presents, as in December, an important group of “willing to dialogue” but “no to accession without discussion”. The almost three months that have passed have brought mutual distrust and distancing; In the time until May 25, the challenge is to rebuild the bond. That, in the midst of the adjustment that the Nation has been applying to them and the drop in their own revenue, means a “eternity” for the provinces.

At the time of the legislative assembly, the first definition of the governors is that they will try to reach a common position on issues related to federalism but, Without leadership, no one can suggest that there will be joint action. A point in favor that they highlight is that the minister Luis Caputo will join as interlocutor, which was always highlighted from the provinces since his counterpart from the Interior, Guillermo Francoshad no power of its own in the negotiations.

“We have to talk about money; Caputo has to be there – stresses a leader from the central region -. Already We live one step forward and two steps back. The Minister has to accept that the adjustment cannot be done only with resources from the provinces; “We have been saying it since December.” In recent days, there was even a sort of “blackout” of contacts between the governors and the Casa Rosada, as a way to show that they can resist.

In the libertarian decalogue there is the rediscussion of co-participation, whose law dates back to 1988. The need for a new rule was specified in the 1994 constitutional reform and was to be ready two years later. The difficulty was always that for Modifying the distribution of funds requires the agreement of all provinces. “An almost impossible task,” says the president who is in charge of a district that gives more than it receives.

The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, hugs the president, Javier Milei, after inaugurating the period of ordinary sessions of the National Congress. Hernan Zenteno – La Nacion

In Peronism, the Tucumán Osvaldo Jaldo – had already distinguished itself with its own bloc in Congress– he announced that will accompany Milei’s summons. He is also a “dialogueist” Raúl Jalil (Catamarca), decided to wait. The pampas Sergio Ziliotto posted: “Dialogue is the basis of politics. But dialogue is built on respect. AND Agreements come from consensus, not from imposition. Consensus is not built by trying to bring the other to their knees, attacking them and taking away what belongs to them and must be defended.” The Buenos Aires native Axel Kicillof He remained silent, but his thoughts are close to those of Ziliotto, as are those of Gildo Insfrán and Ricardo Quintela from Rioja.

Martin Llaryora -one of those most punished by Milei, who ended up choosing Córdoba as the headquarters of the “pact”- was the first to say publicly that “May is very far away” while asking to extend the call to “producers and workers” so that they can express what Argentina needs.

“With the times of Argentine politics, until May it is as if there are 20 years left,” a Peronist leader is sincere.. That group, along with some governors of provincial forces, could continue with their coordination objective with Congress; They had been working to achieve a special session and allocate funds for the provinces.

In the coming weeks, both the provincial leaders and Milei will measure their strength. The libertarian bets that the need for resources “softens” the governors; March will be, in terms of activity, worse than the first two months of the year. The leaders – from all sectors – interpret that the President felt the “impact” of the Patagonian rebellion and, although it seemed that he was going to redouble the pressure, he ended up “summoning everyone, even the Kirchnerists.”

In Together for Change (JxC) the support, until now, was individual. They are not preparing a joint document. Despite the Milei’s attack against radicalism and the shooting by elevation of the former governor of Jujuy Gerardo Morales. The Chaco Leandro Zdero and the Mendoza Alfredo Cornejo They came out to support the call, without a single mention of the attack; the jujeño Carlos Sadir until now he opted for silence.

Those from the PRO came out to support, although there were those who, implicitly, they sneaked their claims. The chubutense Ignacio Torres -who led the largest confrontation of the provinces with the Casa Rosada- used his social networks to advance: “We agree on the north of the proposed axes, with dialogue and respect for federalism”. Rogelio Frigerio (Entre Ríos), Marcelo Orrego (San Juan), Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe), Luis Poggi (San Luis) expressed themselves along the same lines. Several of them, in their own openings of the provincial legislative year, emphasized that they would “always defend” the interests of their fellow citizens.

These governors maintain that the ten points raised by Milei were part of his campaign, which is why they “support” the call. They also highlight that they had been demanding dialogue from the beginning. He is a “win win”, says a person close to Frigerio. “There are no details about anything; nor when will there be a meeting with Caputo and Francos nor with what points” of the omnibus law and the fiscal agreement, they add.

“I support the President’s proposal to sit down and talk to seek answers to the enormous challenges we face as a Nation and try to sign a great National Agreement, which It is also what we, together with several governors, proposed.”indicates the man from Salta Gustavo Saenz, who a week ago warned that in order for there to be dialogue, Milei “I had to accept.”

The general view is that, although the President wants to “present his attitude as a victory,” in reality “he gave in and changed” because the complications were “growing.” They admit that, perhaps, he did not listen to them, but the market and the IMF – which “also speaks” with the governors – confirmed that “without” the governors is “impossible.”

Gabriela Origlia

Themes

Javier MileiLuis CaputoGuillermo FrancosCoparticipationPolitical news

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