Argentina’s Milei to delay lawmakers’ vacation to push his reforms

Argentine President Javier Milei, right, and General Secretary of the Presidency Karina Milei, his sister, cheer for their party's lawmakers during the swearing-in ceremony for newly elected legislators at Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Argentina’s firebrand President Javier Milei plans to prevent the new legislature, elected in October, from taking part of its usual summer vacation so that lawmakers can vote on his planned reforms and a budget by year’s end.

Milei’s chief of staff Manuel Adorni said on X that the president would sign a decree ordering the Congress into a special legislative session from Dec. 10 to 30.

Usually, after elections, the new Congress has a ceremonial inaugural session on Dec. 10 and leaves on vacation until its first regular session on March 1.

The South American country’s 2026 budget, plans to shake up labour law, and penal code reforms that will toughen penalties for offenders are among the items on the Congressional agenda, Adorni said.

Proposed labour law reforms, which have not yet been officially unveiled in any detail, are likely to face the stiffest resistance, and could provoke mass protests.

Media reports and angry trade unions have suggested that the libertarian Milei wants to make working hours more flexible -- meaning far longer work days -- and make it easier to hire and fire staff.

After his clear win in October’s midterm elections, Milei -- who took office in late 2023 -- now has a far greater legislative advantage for the second half of his term, even though he will still need ad hoc alliances to push through his radical free-market agenda.

No party has an absolute majority in the 257-seat Chamber of Deputies. Milei’s La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party and its center-right ally, the PRO party of former president Mauricio Macri, will have a combined 107 seats.

The key threshold was a third of seats, which allows Milei’s faithful to block opposition bills.