ArgentinaThe Government’s Battle with the Opposition over the Legislative Agenda
In a Congress marked by confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition, President Javier Milei managed to put his signature on half of the laws passed during the first half of the year. However, his bloc still struggles to establish itself as a legislative force in its own right. According to the Legislative Influence Index developed by Directorio Legislativo, despite the Executive’s prominence, La Libertad Avanza maintains a low level of parliamentary influence and must contend with opposition forces over control of the legislative agenda.
Between January 1 and June 30, a total of 1,422 bills were introduced in Congress, by both lawmakers and the Executive Branch. However, only 57 received committee approval, 29 passed one chamber, and just 8 became law. These numbers reflect a 0.19% probability of a bill becoming law, calculated as the ratio of approved laws to total bills under parliamentary consideration.
Among the laws passed, four were promoted by President Milei, including the suspension of the Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory Primaries (PASO), two reforms to the Criminal Procedure Code, and one law addressing organized crime. Additionally, three international treaties carried over from the Alberto Fernández administration were ratified, as well as the declaration of an emergency and disaster zone in Bahía Blanca—though this last measure was later vetoed by the Executive.
Presidential Signature, But No Legislative Muscle
The Legislative Influence Index, developed by Directorio Legislativo, measures the influence of each bill initiator—whether a lawmaker or the Executive—by tracking how far their proposals advance through the legislative process. Points are awarded for each stage: 1 for committee approval, 2 for passing one chamber, and 3 for final enactment. A fully approved bill thus earns a total of 6 points. Rather than gauging political clout per se, the index assesses the ability to turn proposals into law.
According to the index, while President Milei was the highest-scoring individual (with 31 points), the La Libertad Avanza blocs showed low legislative influence: just 10 points in the Chamber of Deputies and none in the Senate. Leading the rankings in the lower house was Unión por la Patria with 43 points, followed by PRO with 16 and Encuentro Federal with 14. In the Senate, Unión Ciudadana ranked highest with 17 points, followed by the Frente Nacional y Popular with 6.
When grouping legislative blocs into broader political alliances that contested the 2023 elections (Peronism, former Juntos por el Cambio, and La Libertad Avanza), the opposition’s legislative strength becomes even more apparent. Peronism, the bloc most clearly opposed to the Government, tops the chart with 66 points, followed by the former Juntos por el Cambio with 60. La Libertad Avanza ranks third, with 43 points.
Alignment with the Government
The report also analyzes how closely each bloc aligned with the Executive during voting sessions, considering only those with three or more members. La Libertad Avanza showed low levels of vote divergence, with 96% alignment in the Senate and 97% in the Chamber of Deputies.
Among opposition blocs, those with the highest alignment with the Government (over 70%) were Unidad Federal, Frente Pro, and Por Santa Cruz in the Senate, and PRO, Liga del Interior, and MID (a La Libertad Avanza offshoot) in the Chamber of Deputies. In contrast, the least aligned blocs (under 30%) were Frente Nacional y Popular and Unidad Ciudadana in the Senate, and Unión por la Patria and the Workers’ Left Front (FIT) in the Chamber of Deputies. These blocs only supported a few government proposals, such as the suspension of PASO and the Law on Trials in Absentia.
These findings show that, although President Javier Milei succeeded in endorsing half of the laws passed, his bloc failed to consolidate itself as a significant legislative force. In this context, the president’s prominent role contrasts with the parliamentary weakness of the ruling coalition, forcing the Government to negotiate each step forward with opposition blocs—especially Peronism, which continues to play a key role in the legislative process.