Argentina's fiery economist-turned-president now is wooing politicians

[MilHojas]

This fiery economist became Argentina's president railing against politicians. Now he's wooing them

Argentina’s lower house has voted to approve a dramatically downsized version of President Javier Milei’s economic overhaul package, known as the omnibus bill.

apnews.com

 

[antipodean]

Not a bad result in congress, democratically getting some pretty major reforms across the line considering 70%+ of the congress is his opposition. But of course the headlines and commentators that continue to repeat on mantra that he is “incapable” of governing also said he was “incapable” of winning an election are perhaps better to wait for results to pass judgement.

 

[Ruta Otto]

Not a bad result in congress, democratically getting some pretty major reforms across the line considering 70%+ of the congress is his opposition. But of course the headlines and commentators that continue to repeat on mantra that he is “incapable” of governing also said he was “incapable” of winning an election are perhaps better to wait for results to pass judgement.

It still has to get past the Senate which is not a done deal.

 

[Stantucker]

Milei has done a number of things that I have not liked and he often does things in a way that I don't agree with, but I do think he is trying to bring about fundamental changes that Argentina desperately need and that others have not been willing to make or haven't been able to make.

Yet, there seem to be posters here who, while they may want things to change in Argentina, especially economically speaking, do not want to see Milei succeed for ideological reasons.

 

[FrankPintor]

I see the "ley de bases" passed by the deputies last week (yet to be passed by the senate, as @Ruta Otto notes above) in a generally positive light, there's some sensible stuff in there. I see some contradictions with the election "manifesto", which can only be good.

But it's been almost 5 months of on-the-job learning for this inept, work-shy government, at the cost of normal citizens: principally 5 months of brutal inflation, and now an over-valued currency which will destroy local manufacturing (and jobs) once import controls are removed (basic goods can be imported now for 75% less than the local price?).

Inflation hits the less well off, no matter the ideology of the government.

Now, after the huge increases in basic services like electricity, gas, water, and also health insurance, the government is trying to stuff the, ahem, "free market" genie back in its box with decidedly market unfriendly threats of litigation if the companies concerned don't retract their price increases. That's the result of the clueless tinkering with the economy by a bunch of ideologues.

Perhaps if the government had not come to power without a plan, and then not spent its time on culture wars, trolling, journeys of self-discovery, and now, I see, writing books, rather than actually governing, just maybe we could have been spared at least some of this?

And I see that certain posters prefer to set up straw men, imagining and ascribing motives to others rather than discussing the topic at hand.

 

[FrankPintor]

A bit more about the thread topic: https://batimes.com.ar/news/opinion-and-analysis/milei-finally-discovers-politics.phtml

A key takeaway: "some of the government negotiators were described as "naïve" (Martín Menem) or "cynical" (Santiago Caputo). In the end they were recognised as willing to "allow themselves to be helped."

And "Milei's interlocutors were also helped by governors and trade unionists. Interior Minister Guillermo Francos – perhaps the only government official who enjoys respect – and Cabinet Chief Nicolás Posse, a man with a very low profile"

And this is the government's A-team

Some more about the actual substance of the bill passed by the deputies: https://buenosairesherald.com/politics/javier-mileis-omnibus-bill-2-0-these-are-the-key-points

However, this: "another chapter eliminates sanctions against employers that fail to appropriately register their employees", needs to be explained a little better, as it is in https://www-cronista-com.translate....=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

"Compensation for unregistered work:
The labor reform includes a whitewash for employers who have unregistered workers (in black). Among its points is the end of aggravated dismissal compensation in the event that it is proven that the employment relationship was not registered.

Labor money laundering:
A program is created to regularize labor relations, which includes the forgiveness of at least 70% of the employer's debts in terms of employer and social security contributions".

Which seems intended to motivate more registered tax-paying jobs and fewer unregistered ("black" in Spanish), which would be very welcome.