Milei annuls salary increases for the cabinet and challenges the retirement of Cristina Fernández

The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, annulled the salary increases of his cabinet of ministers that had generated a controversy that former president Cristina Fernández joined (2007-2015), whom, in response, the far-right challenged this Sunday to annul his privileged retirement.

“I just canceled the salary increases of the entire national cabinet. Since I saw her so worried about retirements What do you think if I cancel the 14,000,000 pesos (about $16,000) that you receive as a privilege retirement and assign you a minimum retirement? I estimate that he is not going to complain,” Milei said in a message from the X network to Fernández.

Milei was involved in a controversy on Saturday after it became known a salary increase for members of the Executive, including the president, in the midst of the socioeconomic crisis that the country is going through and its adjustment policy for the public coffersand which was taken advantage of by the Peronist opposition.

The Executive finally annulled the salary increase approved by decree 206/2024, which on February 29 had been signed by the president and his chief of staff, Nicolás Posse, all senior executive officials were to receive a salary increase for several items that, in total, would reach 48%.

Milei also repealed the regulations signed in 2010 by then-president Cristina Fernández, which “linked the increases of national public administration workers to the salaries of civil servants“, a measure that, according to the current Executive, “It was designed and executed with the objective of protecting the pockets of the caste“.

Cristina Fernández had replied: “Oh President… you want to fight with me so that we don’t talk about the decree you signed giving a 48% increase to you and your officials while destroying the pensions and salaries of Argentines… and of the Argentines too. He admits that he signed, got paid and they caught him (…) I want to think that you read what you sign, right?“.

In response, this Sunday Milei and her followers on social networks confront the former vice president (2019-2023) for the privileged retirement she receives for having been president and the pension for being the widow of former president Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007). , a double benefit that opposition leaders consider illegal.

Argentina is experiencing a severe socioeconomic crisis, with more than 250% inflationmore than half of the population is in poverty and the policy advocated by Milei and his Executive, which this Sunday marks three months in office since last December 10, is marked by fiscal adjustment.