Governors from the Justicialist Party have demanded the recovery of an 'inclusive federalism' and warned about the growing defunding of the provinces in a joint document in which they questioned the policies of the national government and announced a common parliamentary agenda.
The message is signed by the governors Axel Kicillof (Buenos Aires), Gildo Insfrán (Formosa), Sergio Ziliotto (La Pampa), Ricardo Quintela (La Rioja), Gerardo Zamora (Santiago del Estero), and Gustavo Melella (Tierra del Fuego).
In the text, the leaders stated that federalism constitutes one of the pillars of the Argentine system of government, and emphasized that it is a key tool to achieve balanced territorial and fair social development, according to the Argentine News Agency (NA).
Decline in resources and paralysis of public works
The governors pointed out that in the face of the progressive withdrawal of the national state, the provinces have had to almost alone provide essential public services, without the transfer of responsibilities being accompanied by the corresponding resources.
They also warned that with the current national administration, financial defaults, accumulated debts, and the interruption of public works throughout the country have been added, which deepened territorial inequalities.
In this context, they emphasized that since the enactment of the Federal Tax Sharing Law in 1988, the provincial share in the distribution of resources has fallen from 58% to 42%, and they alerted that new official initiatives, such as the labor reform under debate, could worsen the federal underfunding.
Common agenda in Congress
Faced with this scenario, the signatories considered it essential to redefine federalism as a strategy for development and inclusion, and announced that they will promote a joint political and institutional agenda in the National Congress.
In this sense, they stated that they will seek cross-party agreements, beyond party or sectoral affiliations, to form legislative majorities that promote the general welfare.
They also anticipated that they will support any initiative that strengthens production, work, and education, and will reject those that involve the removal of resources or rights from the provinces, especially from producers and workers.
"We are convinced that another Argentina is possible," they stated, and highlighted the need to consolidate a democracy based on the separation of powers, equal opportunities, and respect for fundamental rights."
