Milei Faces Major Setback as Congress Overturns Vetoes on Funding for universities and Hospitals
Buenos Aires – Argentina‘s Congress on Wednesday, March 17, dealt a notable blow to President Javier Milei’s agenda by overriding his vetoes of laws increasing funding for public universities and pediatric hospitals. the vote represents a major legislative rebuke for the libertarian president.
The congressional action followed large-scale protests in downtown Buenos Aires, where thousands of Argentines demonstrated demanding increased financing for universities and pediatric care, sectors heavily impacted by Milei’s austerity measures. Demonstrators aimed to pressure legislators to reject the president’s vetoes on the education and health financing bills.
To fully overturn the vetoes, the Senate must also vote to annul Milei’s presidential decrees.
milei had argued that the financing laws would negatively impact Argentina’s fiscal balance, but parliamentarians opposed his stringent approach. This legislative defeat adds to the mounting challenges facing Milei, whose popularity has declined following considerable budget cuts. He is also contending with a recent corruption scandal and a loss in Buenos Aires’ provincial elections.
