"It was positive but we have to regain confidence and then we will see which comes first, the chicken or the egg
," reflected one of the five governors of the Norte Grande who met this Tuesday with the Minister of the Interior, Guillermo Francos, in Salta.
The metaphorical appeal attempts to describe the background of what was a forced attempt to recompose the political dialogue between the parties: the need for the Executive to guarantee legislative support from the leaders in the face of the eventual treatment in Congress of a substantial part of the Omnibus law and the demand of the provinces to advance in a fiscal pact that returns them the federal resources that they lost in recent months.
On the occasion of the celebrations for the 211th anniversary of the Battle of Salta, the host governor,
Gustavo Saénz,
received the vice president
Victoria Villarruel
, the head of the political portfolio and his peers from Misiones,
Hugo Passalacqua
, from Tucumán,
Osvaldo Jaldo
, from Catamarca,
Raúl Jalil,
and from Jujuy,
Carlos Sadir.
After the official events, there was a political lunch, which lasted between 2 and 4 p.m. and in which the vice president did not participate, which took place at the Government House in Salta.
Those present tasted a menu consisting of empanadas and barbecue, with the classic quesillo as dessert.
Although the meeting was cordial, the national official had to listen to the proposals of the provincial leaders.
At Casa Rosada they recognized that aspects of the "national and provincial" reality
were discussed but that no progress could be made "on any specific agreement
. "
There is a demand from the governors for President
Javier Milei
to lower the "verbal pyrotechnics" and for his government to agree to advance in dialogue.
"Francos listens but does not decide because the President has a defined plan. And he does not seem to want to give in," said a close collaborator of a Cordilleran leader.
President Javier Milei.
Photo: Blas Martínez.
Villarruel did not participate in the agape but was previously in the celebrations for the "Battle of Salta."
The night before he had shared a meeting with the five governors with the intention of "contributing" to relaxing the bond between the provinces and the Nation.
Aware of the need "
to bring positions closer together
,"
the vice president listened to the proposals of the leaders who feel "detracted" by the Executive
.
The first to come out to make a public assessment of the meeting was Governor
Sáenz
who, through his X account, maintained that "dialogue and consensus are an essential path in the search for solutions for all Argentines" while at the same time He thanked the visitors "for joining us Salteños on a new anniversary of the Battle of Salta.
Jaldo, from Tucumán, meanwhile, considered it a "positive sign to resume the dialogue."
Although he assured that "we are not going to get tired of demanding the resources that correspond to the interior" in relation to Fonid or transportation subsidies, he said that "Argentina is one
.
We must deepen the dialogue in search of moving the country forward because it does not help that the Nation is well and the provinces are not, or vice versa."
The threat of going to court
Beyond the conciliatory tone of the meeting, there are governors of the Norte Grande who, although they did not raise it at lunch, are studying resorting to Justice to recover funds that the Nation withholds from them, imitating Patagonian districts like Chubut or mountainous districts like La Rioja.
Near the missionary Passalacqua they acknowledged that they could go to court to demand the reimbursement of Anses funds owed to the district and for non-payment of the teaching incentive, which is "guaranteed by law."
After the fall of the Bases Law and the cut by the Nation of funds that it distributed to the 24 jurisdictions, the political climate overheated.
Now Francos would try to resume dialogue with "groups" of governors.
However, leaders of Together for Change and other political groups highlight the constructive vocation of the official but recognize that "he is unauthorized" by "the hawks" that surround Milei.
"At the Yerba Mate Institute we have an example. In the end they appointed a leader similar to (Ramón) Puerta, who is an opponent here and a friend of Macri," confided a collaborator of the missionary leader.
The substance of this Tuesday's meeting was clear: the Government's need to reduce the confrontation with the provinces to
guarantee eventual support for laws
that provide "legal security" that guarantees the arrival of investments and the demands of the leaders to obtain "instruments" that allow him to rebuild the ailing provincial coffers.
The removal of VAT, the elimination of Profits, the cut of the Fonid and other national items have put
the economy of many jurisdictions in
check .