Protests in Argentina over Milei’s economic reforms: What’s at stake? • FRANCE 24 English

Protests in Argentina over Milei’s economic reforms: What’s at stake? • FRANCE 24 English

For more on this story we’re joined by Colin Harding a Latin America analyst thank you for being with us on France 24 the the new president has said the situation would get worse before it gets better for argentine’s feeling the pinch with these protests we’re already seeing

A lack of Tolerance among the population do you think this movement will get even bigger with time and that unrest will worsen well it’s perfectly possible I mean what m is trying to do is extremely radical I mean it’s you’re virtually dismantling the the the the state

Apparatus that has been in in force for for many many years and what he said he’s trying to restore the what he calls the liberal Spirit of the 1853 Constitution which is a very different age but as has already been said in in your piece the

Um the the intervention of the state in in in in almost every aspect of life has been every day uh reality in Argentina for many years and he’s trying to reverse all that and trying to do it very quickly as he’s very much in a hurry because he realizes that uh with

The the radical measures he’s trying to impose uh depend on on on public tolerance and he’s he’s very popular at the moment and he wants to get his measures through while the popularity lasts because it won’t last and the push back as we’ve heard will will be starting very soon

And so do you see these actions the protests and a general strike having any effect on Javier M and his government well we’ll have to see clearly they’ll be concerned I mean one of his problems is that he doesn’t have uh many uh forces in in Congress uh he’s

Dependent very much on the the experience of uh people who call themselves the the the the the Cooperative opposition I.E the their opposition parties but they they don’t want to be seen to be obstructionist they don’t want to be getting in the way of the president so they’ve got lots of

Um they’ve got lots of experienced legislators who who will try to to to help but um really the the the um the government uh is completely lacking in any kind of cohesion any kind of of uh uh of experience and and they’re going to find it very very difficult to to get

Their act together um and the more popular opposition grows the the more difficult they’re going to find it you you mentioned that he that mle is what he’s doing is quite radical um these measures that he’s announced are aimed at deregulating the economy but they they come as part of the urgency

And necessity decree um that’s an executive tool that can be used in specific circumstances um can you tell us a little bit about that and and is that due to come up uh to be struck down by Congress in any way well it has to be ratified by Congress yes it’s it’s under

A a provision introduced by previous government uh that in emergency situations the president can adopt um can assume legislative powers and the this so-called Omnibus law which one commentator said is is more than an Omnibus it’s more like a containership it’s so vast and and and imposing um

That he will be able to uh virtually rule by decree for the whole of his term his his fouryear term if if this is ratified by Congress which does appear to be very unlikely me there’s a lot of uneasiness even among people who are sympathetic to melee that this is

Really not uh in in line with the rule of law and and with the Constitution you know the present ar time Constitution so it’s uh it’s a very difficult um situation um but if if he were to be given uh these Powers he he could it’s really like an enabling law

Which which enables the president to do what he what he likes but I think that is most unlikely to to get through in its present form well there are more than 300 measures as part of this um deregulation of the economy that seems like a hefty amount um mle himself only listed about

30 in his speech uh what are all these measures and could they be deemed all necessary well that’s very good point but it it deregulates just about every aspect of the of economic and social life in the country I mean and it provides for the privatization of almost every uh State I

Think 41 uh State companies and state agencies are are listed uh for instance the the Consumer Protection Law is to be abolished the uh the the rental or the rent controls that be abolished and and there are so many aspects the right to strike is to be limited because of

Course um m is trying to do effectively what the the the P military dictatorship did in Chile from 1973 but they had the advantage from their point of view of being the military they they they could just Stamp Out opposition and resistance with with with military force M doesn’t

Have that luxury he he hasn’t got um he hasn’t got that option um so his his hands are are are are more tired which is is why really he’s trying to rush these things through before the opposition becomes too great and and why so many measures I

Mean is there a tactic here to overwhelm or is this just simply as you said um an aim to deregulate every aspect of the economy well yes I both I mean they do want to Der deregulate just about everything and they are trying to overwhelm the opposition with the Shia

In fact they’re over their own legislators with the the share quantity there are 900 Clauses to try and uh tackle between the decree and the omnus law uh they’re trying to they’re all doing speed reading courses in Congress is one of the jokes and um they’re

Trying to um you get this get this through while while they they can it’s it’s it’s an enormous um undertaking and uh um it’s very unwieldy and it’s going to be very very difficult to manage through Congress where the the the opposition is starting to to get it act

Together and the The Cooperative opposition those with broadly sympathetic to mlay do have a lot of um objections to particular aspects of of the proposed legislation so as somebody has already said it’s it’s a full year of intense Congressional work to go through this and to try and get it

Through a few days that as melee says is impossible and he says then he will call a pleit if there’s too much resistance but that would be very difficult to do as well Ian there isn’t really a provision for that so um it’s going to be interesting times

Ahead right and you you hinted at this a little bit earlier but is this a taste of things to come could mle rule by decree or impose these um kind of executive style orders uh for the rest of his term well I mean if if he’s desperate you

Know if he he might try that uh everything he’s done so far has to be ratified by Congress and Congress uh has a an opposition majority it’s a very fragmented Congress but he doesn’t have a majority in it or any like um so the the his measures are going to be um

Pulled apart and and debated and he’s he he’s he hopes to be able to uh to to introduce um emergency measures by decree and and not have Congress blocking him and he might try to call the plate if he is blocked but we we’ll have to to see if that’s what

Happen Colin Harding thank you for your Insight on France 24

One of the most influential workers unions in Argentina has called for a national strike next month as opposition to the government’s overhaul of the economy builds. Colin Harding, a Latin America analyst, gives his analysis.
#Americas #Milei #Argentina

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