Argentina's ruling party proposes lowering age for provincial councilors to 18

La Libertad Avanza (LLA), the party of Argentine President Javier Milei, is pushing to lower the minimum age for provincial councilors in Buenos Aires to 18. This initiative is part of a broader constitutional reform effort by the party in the traditional Peronist stronghold.

LLA argues that the current age requirement of 25, established in 1889, no longer reflects reality. "If you are obliged to vote, work, and pay taxes, you should also be able to represent your district," the party stated in an announcement made during a youth event. The proposal aims to allow all adults to run for council positions across the province's 135 municipalities.

The current age limit is enshrined in the provincial constitution. To change it, LLA plans to pursue a partial constitutional reform through a plebiscite, a method similar to one attempted in 2013. That earlier initiative, which sought to lower the age to 21, was approved by the legislature but never implemented.

Sebastián Pareja, the party's head in Buenos Aires, and provincial deputies Pablo Morillo and Geraldine Calvella were present at the announcement. The proposal highlights a discrepancy where the age requirement for councilors is stricter than for provincial deputies, who only need to be 22 years old. LLA seeks to align these requirements, enabling younger citizens to participate in local governance.

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We have taken a concrete step for young people in the province of Buenos Aires. We have presented a project to lower the minimum age to be a councilor to 18 years. The Constitution requires 25 years since 1889, but it no longer reflects reality. If you are obliged to vote, work, and pay taxes, you should also be able to represent your district.