Politics

Milei’s Public Emergency Project Anticipates “Legal Earthquake” in Argentina

Buenos Aires, Dec 27 (EFE) – The emergency bill that Javier Milei’s government sent to the National Congress on Wednesday promises to shake up Argentina, while also allowing the delegation of legislative powers to the executive branch under the pretext of a multiple emergency.

If approved by Congress, it will allow the executive branch to declare a public emergency in economic, financial, fiscal, social, pension, security, defense, customs, energy, health and social matters until at least December 31, 2025, with the possibility of a two-year extension covering Milei’s entire term.

The so-called “Law of Bases and Points of Departure for the Liberty of Argentines”, which will affect around 644 articles, comes a week after the controversial Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU), which was approved by the president and will go into effect on Friday.

Electoral reform

Milei aims to replace the current system of electing deputies, based on the proportional D’Hont system, with constituencies or single-member districts similar to those in the US and UK.

In addition, the project envisages the abolition of the primaries and the introduction of a single electoral ballot.

Penal Code Reforms

The project proposes to increase penalties for those who “without creating a situation of general danger, prevent or hinder the normal functioning of water or air transportation, public communication services, water supply, electricity or energy substances.”

Offenders will be sentenced to between one and three and a half years in prison, and those who gather more than three people and organize a “meeting or demonstration” that results in the aforementioned conduct can be sentenced to between three and six years in prison.

Harsher sentences will also be imposed on those who physically attack public officials.

Privatization of public companies.

The bill allows the government to privatize up to 41 state-owned companies on the grounds of competition and economic efficiency.

Among the enterprises subject to this privatization are: Aerolíneas Argentinas, the national airline; the Banco de la Nación Argentina, a national bank; the YPF oil company; the railways; the Télam news agency; the national printing house ans Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, among others.

Ratification of the last economic DNU

The project will also protect the Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) for the practical deregulation of the Argentine economy, signed on Wednesday by Milei, which will enter into force on Friday and is already facing several appeals in the courts and has not guaranteed the support in congress.

Agricultural Withholding Tax Increase

The project also establishes that agricultural products, which currently do not have export duties, will be taxed at 15%.

Changes in legitimate defense

In terms of security, the project expands the cases in which the figure of self-defense can be applied and those subject to non-imputability.

Suspension of the Retirement Mobility Law

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