Buenos Aires Peronism seeks to approve the indefinite re-election of legislators

The Union for the Homeland bloc in the Buenos Aires Senate presented an unusual project to amend the law that limits the reelections of legislators, councilors, and school counselors in the province of Buenos Aires, with the aim of allowing Kirchnerist politicians to continue living off the State.

The initiative has already begun to generate internal conversations and drafts outlining a possible legislative strategy. The goal is for the proposal to be approved before the closure of provincial lists, set for Friday, August 8. The urgency is due to the fact that, if changes are not introduced, 19 legislators would be disqualified from renewing their seats. Therefore, they aim to move forward in the coming months.

A tough negotiation is anticipated, but from the Kirchnerist officialdom, a certain optimism is already being hinted at: "If the project entered through the Senate, it's because the numbers are there," a source slipped. The proposal was pushed by Peronist Senator Luis Vivona, who belongs to Union for the Homeland and secured the support of other members of his caucus, such as Eduardo Bucca, Emmanuel González Santalla, Teresa García, Laura Klark, María Elena Daffunchio, Daniela Viera, Amira Curi, María Rosa Martínez, Adrián Santarelli, Walter Torchio, and Gustavo Soos, most of whom are aligned with the leadership of Cristina Kirchner.

A Kirchnerist legislator anticipated that the plan is to send the project to committee, obtain a favorable opinion, and then bring it to the floor for a vote. The initiative could be approved with a simple majority, that is, with half plus one of those present, as long as there are at least 24 senators in the chamber.

It is worth noting that the presented text doesn't mention whether mayors who have already served two consecutive terms will be able to compete again in 2027. That omission caused some discomfort. In the Governorship, the gesture was interpreted as a warning to the mayors who support Axel Kicillof and have been demanding an electoral reform.

In reality, the immediate goal of the Kirchnerist officialdom is to test the waters with the legislators and, if the project prospers, to move forward later with a reform that also allows mayors to compete for a third consecutive term. That discussion would be left for after December 2025, although it is not ruled out that the current project may be modified to expressly include the municipal leaders.

Currently, there are 19 Buenos Aires legislators—between deputies and senators—who, if the current law is not modified, will be excluded from the lists to renew their seats in this year's elections.