Argentine Political Coalition Talks Collapse Amid Leadership Dispute

The negotiations, which had been advancing for days, broke down due to a dispute over the presidency of the future bloc and over the divergences in the stance that the governors should adopt towards the national government. The dialogue was interrupted during a meeting scheduled for today between delegates of United Provinces, leaders of Federal Encounter, members of the Civic Coalition, and Radical legislators. It was there that the rupture was finally confirmed: Pichetto rejected the proposal pushed by the governor of Santa Fe, Maximiliano Pullaro, who was promoting his vice governor and elected deputy, Gisela Scaglia, as president of the bloc. With 15 deputies, and the expected support of the deputies from Misiones and Neuquén who make up Federal Innovation, the alliance could consolidate itself in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, leaving Unión por la Patria on the verge of losing the first minority in the lower house. The official presentation of this space will take place this Thursday at the Casa de Salta in Buenos Aires, with the presence of Governor Gustavo Sáenz and the other governors. At the same time, the northern governors are advancing in the formation of their own inter-bloc, following intense conversations with the Executive branch led by Diego Santilli. The governors Nacho Torres (Chubut) and Maximiliano Pullaro (Santa Fe) were present at the meeting, expressing their support for the alliance. The parliamentary realignment is not limited to these movements. The first outlines of the legislative agenda were drawn there, and the eventual appointment of Scaglia as president of the space was evaluated, although the final definition will be made next week with the official presentation of the bloc in the City of Buenos Aires. However, the rejection dismantled the attempt at unification and exposed the tensions between the governors and the more technical and parliamentary deputies. Buenos Aires, November 26, 2025 – Total News Agency-TNA – The political scene in Congress was reconfigured again this Wednesday after Miguel Pichetto, leader of Federal Encounter, called off the understanding with United Provinces and thus frustrated the formation of a new bloc that sought to bring together representatives of that space with the Civic Coalition and sectors of Radicalism. The “clear stance” that Pichetto's space says it has maintained for two years also contributed to the interruption of the negotiations. Meanwhile, the Civic Coalition maintains an expectant position. Federal Encounter maintained that leadership should fall to Pichetto. From the leader's entourage, they told TNA that the decision is, for now, definitive, although they emphasized that they are not closing the possibility of resuming conversations. The goal of Radicalism is to arrive united to the discussion of the commissions and to avoid a fracture that weakens its critical mass in the Chamber. In parallel, United Provinces held its first formal meeting of the bloc, with the presence of 17 national deputies and with the forecast of expanding that number to more than 20 legislators in the coming days. Among the names being considered for institutional roles is that of deputy Pamela Calletti, who could represent the bloc in the General Audit Office of the Nation, an agency that has not yet appointed its definitive members on its board of directors. With these definitions still in motion, and just days before the legislative turnover on December 10, Congress is heading into a new stage marked by regroupings, crossed negotiations, and leadership disputes, in a scenario where each vote acquires a decisive weight in the struggle between La Libertad Avanza and Fuerza Patria. Today, the movements of twelve Radical deputies who could join the possible inter-bloc are being discussed, although it is not ruled out that the party will divide into two sectors: one more progressive and another prone to accompany certain government initiatives. In this context, the possibility that is gaining the most traction is precisely that of forming an inter-bloc that maintains party identities and allows for the coordination of positions without losing autonomy. The UCR also plays a key role in this process. According to what they conveyed to this medium, they are evaluating several scenarios: integrating into a new bloc, maintaining their own, or moving towards an intermediate figure through an inter-bloc, although they emphasize that “it is not an immediate decision”.