Argentina’s President Milei Proposes Electoral Reform to End Mandatory Primaries and Simplify Political System
- BUENOS AIRES, April 22 - Argentine President Javier Milei has announced plans to send Congress a bill that would eliminate mandatory primary elections and streamline the country's electoral...
- The proposed reform, which Milei said he will submit to legislators on Wednesday, aims to overhaul Argentina's political framework by removing the obligatory open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries...
- Milei, who took office in December 2023 after winning the 2023 general election, has pursued an agenda of deregulation and state reduction since assuming power.
BUENOS AIRES, April 22 – Argentine President Javier Milei has announced plans to send Congress a bill that would eliminate mandatory primary elections and streamline the country’s electoral system, according to a draft of the reform seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
The proposed reform, which Milei said he will submit to legislators on Wednesday, aims to overhaul Argentina’s political framework by removing the obligatory open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries (PASO) that currently precede general elections.
Background on Milei’s Electoral Reform Push
Milei, who took office in December 2023 after winning the 2023 general election, has pursued an agenda of deregulation and state reduction since assuming power. His administration came into office during a severe economic crisis, with inflation exceeding 100% in the months prior to his inauguration.
Details of the Proposed Changes
The draft bill seen by Reuters indicates that eliminating the PASO primaries is a central component of the reform. These primaries, which require all political parties to hold internal elections months before the general vote, have been criticized by Milei’s government as costly and unnecessary.
