Argentina pushes electoral reform to scrap primaries, but faces Senate deadlock

Argentina's government is determined to push forward with electoral reform, specifically targeting the elimination of the PASO (open, simultaneous, and mandatory primaries). The primary objective, according to sources, is to ensure the President's re-election prospects by allowing his sister, Karina Milei, to continue controlling candidate selection from the Casa Rosada.

However, the ruling party faces a substantial hurdle in the Senate, where it lacks the necessary votes to pass the reform. A significant portion of the opposition, particularly those in "dialoguista" (dialogue-oriented) factions, are reluctant to abolish a mechanism they believe is crucial for organizing electoral fronts composed of ideologically diverse groups.

Senator Patricia Bullrich, the head of the libertarian bloc in the Senate, has been negotiating for over a month without success. The task of securing the required 37 votes has now fallen to the new Chief of Staff, Diego Santilli. He recently echoed Bullrich's concerns after a meeting in the upper house, confirming the difficulty in garnering support.

The Constitution requires an absolute majority in both legislative chambers for electoral reform. In the Senate, this means 37 affirmative votes. The ruling party, with only 21 senators, must secure support from at least 16 senators from disparate forces like the UCR, Pro, and various provincial and dissident Peronist blocs. Resistance from the UCR, led by Carolina Losada and Maximiliano Abad, and within Pro, coupled with near-universal opposition from Kirchnerism, makes the path to approval extremely challenging, regardless of provincial bloc support.