The pressure from the Casa Rosada to speed up the handling of the political reform deepened the dispute between Patricia Bullrich and Karina Milei's power brokers over control of the parliamentary negotiation and, above all, over who will have to pay the political cost of a potential defeat.
At Balcarce 50 they are convinced it will pass. But those close to the leader of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate say she still doubts that the government has the votes to secure initial approval, and they describe a maneuver they consider deliberate: "They want to pin a corpse on her," they say, referring to the possibility of rushing a session, exposing it to legislative failure, and then blaming her for failing to secure the backing.
On alert, Bullrich is considering issuing a statement in her own style, suggestive but direct, to get ahead of a potential stumble and make clear that rounding up the votes is not her responsibility (something she has been arguing for weeks).
Tensions deepened over the last 24 hours, when the government insisted on speeding up the debate on a bill the Mileis consider a top priority, despite the senator's warnings about the lack of agreements. It happened yesterday morning, when Martín Menem confirmed on Radio Mitre that the Executive would call extraordinary sessions and anticipated that it aims to secure initial approval of the reform in the Senate within 15 days.
The president of ...
AI Brief
Your highlights
Karina Milei, Diego Santilli, Martín Menem, and Patricia Bullrich, responsible for securing the votes for the political reform. The pressure from the Casa Rosada to accelerate the processing of the political reform deepened the dispute between Patricia Bullrich and Karina Milei's strategists over control of the parliamentary negotiation and, above all, over who will have to pay the political cost of a potential defeat. Those in Balcarce 50 are convinced it will pass. But close to the head of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate, they assert that she still distrust whether the ruling party has the votes to achieve the first reading approval and describe a maneuver they consider deliberate: "They want to pin a failure on her," they say, referring to the possibility of rushing a call, exposing it to legislative failure, and then holding her responsible for not securing support. On alert, Bullrich is considering publishing a communication in her style—suggestive yet direct—to anticipate a potential mishap and make it clear that the search for votes is not her responsibility (something she has been raising for weeks). The tension deepened in the last 24 hours when the government insisted on accelerating the debate of an initiative that the Mileis consider highly priority, despite the senator's warnings about the lack of agreements. It was yesterday morning when Martín Menem confirmed on Radio Mitre that the Executive branch would call extraordinary sessions and anticipated that they intend to secure the first reading approval of the reform in the Senate within 15 days. The President of the Chamber of Deputies placed the initiative, which contemplates the elimination of the PASO, along with the 2027 Budget, among the priorities of the end-of-year legislative agenda. In his statements, the ruling party's confidence in its ability to gather the necessary support was also expressed. This expectation contrasts with the warnings Bullrich has been issuing in various conversations. In particular, according to a source close to her, the day before yesterday, in a dialogue with Diego Santilli regarding the call, Bullrich once again presented her reservations to her former PRO colleague about the availability of votes. Santilli, in charge of dialogues with governors, insists to them that the wills are there. Yesterday, Agustín Coto, president of the Senate Constitutional Affairs Commission, called a meeting for next Tuesday the 17th at 3 PM, with the aim of resuming the debate on the electoral reform. Bullrich was aware of the call, although she was not convinced that the necessary support existed to move forward under those conditions. The call, after two months of silence from the commission, once again highlighted the differences regarding timing and legislative strategy. The movement also exposed the difficulties in gathering the necessary support. From the dialoguing blocs of PRO and the UCR, they argue that support for the electoral reform is conditioned on the ruling party advancing with Ficha Limpia (Clean Sheet). "Without Ficha Limpia, there is nothing else," is the warning they transmit from those sectors. In this way, the ruling party must not only secure the signatures to dictate the electoral reform but also resolve a parallel negotiation that could complicate the deadlines the Casa Rosada intends to impose. At another time, the Casa Rosada attributed the political failures of the ruling party to Vice President Victoria Villarruel. Before the total rupture materialized, in Balcarce 50, they accused her of conspiring against the President's will and sought to hold her responsible for the difficulties in carrying out various initiatives. Close to Bullrich, they fear that mechanism will be attempted with her. However, the scenario has differences: the senator maintains a bloc she leads, her own agenda, and a margin of parliamentary action that Villarruel did not have. The tension is directly related to reports about Bullrich's aspirations for 2027. Yesterday, in her circle, they asserted that "she has less and less interest in occupying the vice presidency" and that she "is not comfortable with the internal dynamics of the ruling party." They hinted, "Her term in the Senate extends for five more years, and her current priority is to focus on her parliamentary work and passing laws." The acceleration of the discussion regarding the PASO threatens to become a new chapter in the dispute between the sector responding to Karina Milei and the senator who leads the ruling party bloc in the upper house. The power struggle goes beyond the legislative calendar: it involves who sets the conditions for the negotiation, who leads the parliamentary strategy, and who will have to answer if the result is not what the government expects.