The Executive Branch sent the veto of the university financing law to Congress this Wednesday, and the opposition is analyzing whether it will try to reject it in a special session next Wednesday.
The initiative had been approved in the Chamber of Deputies in early August with a large majority of 158 votes in favor, which, however, did not reach two-thirds. That is the special majority that the opposition will have to muster if it wants to overturn the veto and insist on the original bill.
In that same special session, the declaration of emergency in pediatrics (due to the crisis at the Garrahan Hospital) and the automatic distribution with the provinces of the National Treasury Contributions (ATN) were also approved, which will also be vetoed by the Casa Rosada. However, those two vetoes have not yet been sent to Congress and the deadline expires this Thursday.
The law vetoed by Milei had originally been promoted by the dissident radicalism of Democracy Forever in conjunction with the rectors of the National Interuniversity Council (CIN). It establishes that the operating expenses of universities, university hospitals, and research funds must be automatically adjusted for inflation. It also orders the calling of collective bargaining negotiations within three months to restore teaching and non-teaching staff salaries and increase scholarships, among other points.
The Casa Rosada rejected the initiative from the outset, arguing that its fiscal cost was too high and would jeopardize the fiscal surplus, a cornerstone of the entire economic plan.
In the veto, which was already published in the Official Gazette, the government points out that the bill does not comply with Article 38 of Law 24.156, which requires that any law authorizing expenditures not provided for in the budget must clearly specify the sources of funding.
In this regard, it warns that the sources indicated for financing (such as increased revenue collection above budget and the reallocation of funds) are"generic," are not directly related to the new planned expenses, and do not guarantee the sufficiency or availability of resources.
The government also argued that implementing the law would lead to a significant and uncovered increase in public spending, with an estimated cost of more than one trillion pesos by 2025, which would jeopardize the stability of public finances and macroeconomic sustainability.
This spending,"without real support," according to the Casa Rosada, can only be financed by issuing money, which would increase inflation and especially harm the most vulnerable sectors of the population.
This is the second time President Milei has vetoed a law seeking to increase university funding. Last year, he managed to secure a third of the votes in the House of Representatives to protect his decision thanks to the support of some governors and the Radicals"with wigs," who are now part of a bloc with the ruling party.
The opposition was currently considering calling a session for next week and debating whether to include the veto rejection issue on the agenda. The hardline blocs argued that bringing the vetoes to the floor as soon as possible would take advantage of the government's moment of weakness following the electoral debacle in the province of Buenos Aires and the tense relationship with the governors. This Thursday morning, a key meeting will be held between the parliamentary secretaries of the opposition blocs to define the next steps. Also pending are the vetoes to the
