Despite harsh warnings and objections from the Justicialist bloc, the ruling coalition's package of laws was approved in the Senate with a minority of only three votes against. Only Senators Félix González and Hélio Perviú—both identified with Kirchnerism—along with the representative of the Green Party, Dugar Chappel, maintained total rejection, replicating the stance already taken by Deputy Valentina Morán in the Lower House.
"A Pantomima" and Harsh Criticism of the Kirchnerist Institutions After the vote, Senator Félix González was scathing, calling the session a "pantomima" and questioning the functioning of the "House of Laws".
"What we are doing today is bastardizing the bicameral system of this province... The Legislature does not function and we continue without solving the people's problems," sentenced the legislator, visibly upset with the level of the debate.
González, who maintained his negative vote "to put a brake on the Government," as was his campaign slogan, held that the Budget "expresses the political alliance that Governor Cornejo has with President Milei. One tightens and the other goes into debt".
The Justicialist Bloc: Vote with "Warning" Most of the peronist bloc, led by Senator Adriana Cano, opted to support the norm to avoid an automatic re-convention scenario of the accounts, which they argued would give the Governor even more "discretion and no political limit".
The Legislature Approved the 2026 Budget with Emphasis on Investment, Ordering, and Strategic Works However, the support came loaded with severe criticism of the project. The debate over the Budget Law, the Tax Law, and the Valuation Law in the Provincial Legislature exposed a deep division within Peronism. Cano stated that the Budget "consolidates a downsizing model, it does not expand rights or strengthen critical areas" and that it is designed for "a province that lives in a parallel universe, far from everyday problems".
Rejection of the "Roll Over" and the Deficit The PJ harshly questioned the projected deficit of $648,000 million, which, according to the bloc, is "proof that the narrative of fiscal balance is falling apart".
Senator Cano focused on the request for a roll over (debt refinancing), defining it as "a sign of bad management disguised as financial modernization".
"It is asking the province to achieve fiscal balance with a credit card in hand, compromising the future of the Mendoza people," shot Cano.
Furthermore, the bloc warned that the law "does not incorporate a single engine for productive reactivation" and questioned specific articles that, in their opinion, grant the Executive broad discretion and concentrate power.
Why did they support it, despite the criticism? The decision not to reject the Budget was justified by a "higher responsibility" to the people of Mendoza, especially those who live in the seven municipalities governed by Peronism.
"Leaving the province without a budget would give the Governor even more discretion, with no political limit. Our responsibility is to Mendoza, not to this government," explained Cano, emphasizing that the vote is not a "blank check".
The bloc announced that it will exercise strict control over the execution of the funds, especially those destined for school infrastructure, considered one of the most urgent problems in the territory.
This article was first published in Mendoza Today. Source: Mendoza Today
