The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, has generated controversy over the new extension of the 2023 Presupposition Act, which implies that the country will continue without a presupposition law enshrined in Congress in 2025. The decision was harshly criticized by Germán Martínez , head of the Bloque de Diputados Nacionales de Unión por la Patria, who accused the representative of seeking arbitrary management of public finances.
In a message released on social media X, Martínez expressed: «Milei never wants to be ley de presupuesto. We want to have total arbitration in the management of public finances. Therefore today the presupposition 2023 until 2025 is extended by decree, until 2024.”.
Two years without the assumption
The Santa Fesino legislator defined the situation as unprecedented in the recent economic history of the country: «We raised two consecutive years without a law of presupposition sanctioned by Congress. This is not a reason for impossibility, but rather a political decision by the executive.”.
Martínez recalled that the Ley de Administración Financiera N.º 24.156, sanctioned in 1992, was designed to ensure that the Poder Ejecutivo manages public finances based on a regulatory brand approved by Congress. According to what has been explained, Article 27 of which allows the extension of the prerequisite one year earlier only in exceptional situations that prevent the approval of a new prerequisite.
«There is no exceptional situation that justifies this decision. Milei non quiso tener ley, he decided not to send it to Congress and is forcing the interpretation of article 27 to maintain the presupuesto 2023 as the basis of the national public administration”the discussion was tiresome.
A controversial practice
The use of decrees to extend previous assumptions has been the subject of debate in the past, but the continuation of this practice for two consecutive years, under the Milei administration, has received desperate criticism from both the academic and economic sectors. According to Martinez, this decision reflects a deliberate intent by the Executive to avoid the legislative controls that establish the sanctioning process of a prerequisite new law.
«When the Ley de Administración Financiera was drawn up, the spirit of the legislator ensured that every year a presupuesto was sanctioned, detailing all the aspects necessary to guarantee responsible management of public finances. What we are seeing now is a fundamental reflection on spirit.”reported Martínez.
Political reactions
The president's decision also generated comments about the transparency and broad planning of the government's economic policy. From the Union of the Fatherland, it is argued that the lack of an approved basis complicates parliamentary control over gas and state inputs, thus weakening the democratic institution.
For its part, Milei's government has defended this average by arguing that it is necessary to ensure administrative continuity while implementing structural economic reforms. However, critics believe this justification lacks merit, as Congress is fully operational and there are no legal or logistical impediments to discussing and sanctioning a new assumption.
An earlier concern
The use of a congressionally sanctioned assumption not only represents a challenge to governability, but also leaves the country without a clear path to the management of public finances. According to Martinez, this situation puts economic stability at risk, as it is difficult to return the accounts and comply with fiscal objectives.
«Milei is opting for a path of arbitrariness and discretion in the management of public finances. This is not a technical issue, but a political decision that will undermine the institution and the balance of power.”concluded the legislator.
On the eve of 2025, the debate on the lack of a new assumption will continue to be a central theme in Argentine politics, marking a deep division between officialism and opposition to the model of economic governance that the country must follow.
