The Government launched the May Council and seeks consensus for reforms in 2026.

With the presence of national officials, legislators, business leaders, and union representatives,  the Government inaugurated the Council of May this Tuesday, a multisectoral forum aimed at debating and reaching consensus on structural reforms that Javier Milei seeks to implement during the second stage of his term. The meeting, led by Chief of Cabinet Guillermo Francos, took place at the Casa Rosada and was an inaugural event.

The Council was announced by Milei over a year ago, as part of the so-called May Pact, signed by 19 governors and based on 10 guiding principles such as tax, labor, and pension reform, fiscal balance, and trade liberalization. The initiative aims for a final document to be presented by December of this year, serving as a foundation for new structural laws.

A dialogue body with aligned stakeholders

The body was composed of six representatives: Federico Sturzenegger (Executive), Alfredo Cornejo (signatory provinces), Carolina Losada (Senate), Cristian Ritondo (Chamber of Deputies), Gerardo Martínez (CGT-UOCRA), and Martín Rappallini (UIA). All were appointed by decree and have a good relationship with the Government, which suggests a more agile dynamic than in Congress.

The meeting lasted an hour and a half and concluded with the expectation of resuming on July 20, when each member will bring proposals and priorities.  "There is a willingness to engage in dialogue and a commitment to work toward reaching consensus from now until December," Sturzenegger said.

The challenge: turning consensus into laws

One of the most contentious issues is labor reform. Although the Government considers it key, the CGT avoided giving direct support. Gerardo Martínez spoke of a possible "modernization," provided it has union certification.

The difficulty of addressing sensitive topics such as federal revenue sharing was also mentioned, where there is general agreement on the need for review, but no clear political space to discuss it.

Despite the optimistic tone of the meeting, the Government seeks to strengthen ties that have weakened in recent months with both governors and some allied congressional blocs. The loss of legislative control became evident with the progress of initiatives such as the pension increase, which face the threat of a presidential veto.

A governance strategy

In this context, the Council appears as a tool to rebuild political dialogue and advance minimum agreements with key sectors such as unions and business leaders. Although its members are close to the administration, the challenge will be to translate these agreements into viable legislative initiatives for 2026.

Francos described the moment as an opportunity: "We have a commitment to move forward with the deep transformations that Argentina needs, with medium- and long-term strategic consensus."