Milei inaugurates the ordinary sessions of Congress tonight

Confronted with the legislators, whom he said he did not need to “save the economy,” President Javier Milei will inaugurate the regular session of Congress tonight. Milei will break with the tradition of opening the sessions at noon and will deliver his speech at 9 p.m., in prime time TV. “It is so that as many Argentines as possible can listen to the presidential message after their work hours,” presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni explained. But the modifications introduced by La Libertad Avanza are not limited to a change of schedule: the president will speak from a lectern located under the podium where the authorities of both chambers will sit, Victoria Villarruel, for the Senate, and Martín Menem, for Deputies. The event, which will formally begin at 8 p.m., will take place against the backdrop of tension between the president and some governors, who accuse the central administration of wanting to drown them financially. In his message, which could last an hour, Milei is expected to take stock of the inheritance received from reports from the SIGEN and the Secretariat of State Transformation “with the situation of each of the departments of the State.” In this context, it is not ruled out that the president will also emphasize the trips made on planes or cruise ships by some 120,000 people who had social plans, the diversion of funds in organizations such as Anses and PAMI and the acts of corruption discovered in the former Ministry of Social Development such as expired dry food without distribution. and purchases of oncological drugs, prostheses and hearing aids without prior bidding. In addition, there would be a “surprise” that is kept secret. In an interview published yesterday by the Financial Times, Milei admitted that it will be “difficult” to pass the reforms he intends with the current composition of Congress. “Politicians have no problem harming the interests of Argentines in order to maintain their privileges,” he said. However, he said he does not need Congress to “save the economy” because until the midterm elections, “there are other reforms” that he can apply by decree. The expectations of the legislators are focused on the tone of the speech that the president will formulate before Congress, due to his public references to politics and especially to the members of the Legislative Palace. which he recently called “a rat’s nest.” The president’s decision to turn his back on them on inauguration day also resonates with several legislators. For this reason, one possibility they had raised was to turn their backs on the president when he enters the premises. This stance would have lost strength in the last few hours. At yesterday’s press conference, Adorni appealed for “respect and to be listened to attentively and not to happen either inside or outside (something) that goes against institutions and against the health of democracy,” ruling out that the speech will have a “violent character.” Adorni also warned in his usual press conference at Casa Rosada that “certain groups of people are being extorted” to demonstrate in front of the National Congress in rejection of the speech that the President will give and recalled that “the telephone line 134 is enabled, anonymous and free” to report alleged intimidation. In this way, he alluded to the demonstrations called by the Unidad Piquetera and left-wing organizations, which announced that they will mobilize tomorrow night in front of the Congress.At the same time, militants of La Libertad Avanza also announced – through social networks – that they are going to gather outside the Congress to give their support to the President.

Original source in Spanish