Argentina Opposition 14 Deputies Short of Quorum to Reject Milei’s Decree
ARGENTINA · CONGRESS
Key Facts
- —The country Argentina, South America’s second-largest economy, is governed by Javier Milei, whose party lacks a majority in either house of Congress.
- —The background In December 2023 Milei issued Decree 70/2023, a 366-article emergency decree that scrapped or rewrote hundreds of rules on rents, prices and state companies. The Senate rejected it in March 2024.
- —How the rule works Such a decree stays in force unless both houses reject it. The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, has not rejected it.
- —What happened After a Supreme Court ruling on 29 September, opposition deputies requested a special session for Thursday, 15 October, to reject the decree.
- —The numbers A session needs 129 of the 257 deputies present. El Destape counts 115 committed, 14 short.
- —What it means for you If the decree falls, older laws would return, including the former rent law and price-control powers. Tenants, landlords and businesses would face new uncertainty.
- —Still open Whether governors who travelled with Milei to Paris let their deputies give quorum.
Argentina’s opposition has called a session for 15 October to strike down President Javier Milei’s “mega-decree”. It is still 14 deputies short of a quorum, the news site El Destape counted on 2 October.
If the lower house rejects Decree 70/2023, it would be repealed for good, because the Senate already voted against it in 2024. Dozens of laws Milei scrapped, from the old rent law to price controls, would come back.
Why the decree is back in play
On 29 September the Supreme Court revived the decree’s repeal of limits on foreign land ownership. That repeal had been blocked by a lower-court ruling since 2024.
Within two days, opposition deputies asked Chamber Speaker Martín Menem for a special session. The agenda also includes extending a disability emergency and relief for indebted households, El Destape reported.
The request was signed beyond the Peronist bloc. Names included Miguel Pichetto, Martín Lousteau, Nicolás Massot, Marcela Pagano and Natalia de la Sota, El Destape said.
The arithmetic
The Chamber has 257 seats, so a session needs 129 deputies present. Then a simple majority of those present can reject the decree, La Nación explained.
The signatures add up to about 110 to 111 deputies, El Destape reported, led by Unión por la Patria with 92. Four deputies loyal to Misiones governor Hugo Passalacqua then pledged to give quorum, taking the count to 115.
“We will be giving quorum on 15 October,” said deputy Alberto Arrúa, adding that the decree hit Misiones especially hard. El Destape noted the damage to its yerba mate growers.
Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, has 95 deputies and counts on allies in PRO, with 12, and the six-member Radical (UCR) bloc. That bloc said it will not attend.
“The opposition is the one that has to gather the quorum,” parliamentary sources told El Destape.
The governors decide
El Destape counts 29 deputies still undecided, 17 of them loyal to provincial governors. Several of those governors had just travelled with Milei to Paris.
Opposition sources doubt that most governors will help. A Peronist source told El Destape it “is difficult”; others in the bloc said, “It’s lacking, but we are on our way.”
Even Milei’s camp shows cracks. Patricia Bullrich, a leading figure in his coalition, acknowledged the opposition could reject the decree, La Nación reported.
What would come back
La Nación listed rules that would return. They include the former rent law, limits on health insurance fees and the supply law that let the state set reference prices.
The “Buy Argentine” rules for public purchases and a law reserving shelf space for small firms would also return.
State companies would lose the legal path to becoming corporations “for later privatisation”, which Milei set out in 2023.
Law 26,122, which governs these decrees, protects rights acquired while a rejected decree was in force. Contracts signed under it would not be voided automatically.
Some urge caution. Former deputy Juan Manuel López warned that the impact “on daily life and legal certainty will be immediate”, La Nación reported.
He said the old rent law would revive and satellite internet could fall into limbo.
What comes next
Two weeks remain to find 14 votes. A street rally is called outside Congress for 1.30 p.m. on the day of the session.
Failing to reach quorum would leave the decree in force, though the opposition could try again. Reaching it would not guarantee rejection, since a majority must still vote.
The decree’s labour articles follow a separate path, through the courts and this year’s labour reform, La Nación noted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a decree of necessity and urgency?
It is an emergency decree with the force of law that Argentina’s president can issue when Congress cannot act in time. It stays in force unless both houses of Congress reject it.
What is Decree 70/2023?
Milei’s first big reform, issued in December 2023 with 366 articles. It scrapped or changed laws on rents, prices, state companies, foreign land ownership and much more.
What happens if the Chamber of Deputies rejects it?
The decree would be repealed, because the Senate already rejected it in March 2024. Repealed laws would return, but the rejection would not undo past contracts.
Why is the quorum so hard to reach?
Neither Milei’s bloc nor the opposition has a majority alone. Deputies loyal to provincial governors hold the balance, and several governors are allied with Milei.
Sources: El Destape, “DNU 70/23: a la oposición aún le faltan 14 diputados para el quórum”, 2 October 2026, and “A la oposición no le dan los números y el tiro de gracia al mega DNU de Milei corre riesgo en Diputados”, 2 October 2026; La Nación, “Las regulaciones que volverían a regir si Diputados rechazara el DNU 70/23”, 1 October 2026. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
In depth
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
Read More from The Rio Times