BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentine lawmakers on Thursday overturned two vetoes by President Javier Milei, marking a setback for the libertarian leader ahead of key legislative elections that could shape the future of his economic reform agenda.
The opposition-controlled Senate voted overwhelmingly to override Milei’s vetoes of bills boosting funding for public universities and pediatric health care, with margins of 59-7 and 58-7, respectively.
Milei, who has implemented deep austerity policies to reduce the size of government, said the new spending would jeopardize Argentina’s fiscal balance.
In September, Argentina’s congress for the first time overturned a veto issued by Milei, reinstating a bill that increased spending for people with disabilities.
The latest pushback comes at a precarious time for Milei, as the country prepares for midterm elections on October 26 and his popularity drops, in the face of a corruption scandal and public weariness with his austerity measures.
(Reporting by Lucila Sigal, Nicolas Masculin and Natalia Siniawski; Writing by Leila Miller; Editing by Kylie Madry)
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