Argentina Congress Restricts President Milei’s Decree Powers

Argentina’s Congress voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to curtail President Javier Milei’s authority to rule by decree, marking the latest setback for the right-wing leader.

Milei, whose La Libertad Avanza party holds a minority in parliament, has issued more than 70 decrees since taking office in December 2023 to implement his austerity agenda, which has significantly cut public programmes amid widespread protests.

For context, previous presidents signed similar numbers of decrees:

The Chamber of Deputies approved an amendment to a bill regulating presidential decrees with the following results:

The legislation, which had already passed the Senate, now allows a single house of Congress to overturn a presidential decree. Previously, a majority in both chambers was required to reject such orders. The amended bill will return to the Senate for final approval.

The vote represents a new blow to Milei, 54, who is already contending with:

• Scandals within his party
• A run on the peso, prompting him to seek financial aid from Washington last month
• Three earlier congressional votes overturning some of his spending vetoes

Milei, who won the presidency as an outsider, has repeatedly criticised Congress, calling it a “nest of rats” and its members a “political caste.”

He now faces midterm elections on 26 October, where half of the Chamber of Deputies and one-third of Senate seats will be contested. Analysts suggest that his position is increasingly vulnerable.

Recent Challenges

• Last week, Congress overturned Milei’s vetoes on spending increases for public universities and emergency paediatric care, threatening his zero-deficit fiscal goal.
• On Sunday, one of Milei’s top midterm candidates withdrew due to links with suspected drug traffickers.
• Milei’s party suffered a significant defeat in Buenos Aires provincial polls last month, seen as a bellwether of national support.

Milei has accused the opposition of deliberately stoking panic to weaken his administration.

On Monday, he attempted to revive the rockstar persona that propelled his rise by headlining a concert to mark the release of his latest book, which promotes what he describes as his economic “miracle.”

He has also been in talks with the United States regarding a $20 billion economic support programme aimed at stabilising Argentina’s markets and struggling currency.

Milei has aligned closely with Donald Trump, praising the former US president during his UN General Assembly address last month, saying Trump is saving the United States and the world from “catastrophe”, citing his trade and migration policies.