Argentina's Milei told to 'grow up' by VP in spat over pensions

Argentine President Javier Milei and his vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, person engaged successful a bitter nationalist warfare of words implicit plans to summation pensions.

Milei shared posts connected X successful which his moving mate had been called "stupid" and described arsenic "a traitor", and successful effect Villarruel told the president to "grow up".

The president's choler was triggered by a dense decision successful Congress connected Thursday, erstwhile the Senate approved motions aimed astatine boosting pensions and expanding disablement allowances - which Milei had vehemently opposed.

Milei said helium would veto the pension hike, arguing that the other expenditure threatened his fiscal surplus, and blamed Villarruel for allowing the ballot to proceed.

In Argentina, the country's vice-president besides acts arsenic the president of the Senate.

It was successful this relation arsenic Senate person that Villarruel allowed the statement connected the exigency pension hike to proceed, adjacent though senators allied with the authorities boycotted the session.

With government-aligned senators absent, the question passed with 52 votes successful favour and 4 abstentions.

Its backers reason that higher payments are indispensable successful bid for pensioners to marque ends meet.

But President Milei says it goes antagonistic to his committedness to destruct Argentina's chronic fiscal shortage and bring down inflation.

In January, Milei scored a large economical triumph erstwhile it emerged that 2024 was the archetypal twelvemonth successful much than a decennary that Argentina had registered a fund surplus.

Last period besides saw the country's monthly ostentation complaint driblet to 1.5%, the lowest it has been successful much than 5 years.

But the austerity measures that helped the libertarian president little the shortage and thrust down ostentation person besides triggered protests, with pensioners holding play rallies extracurricular Congress.

Following the support of the question connected Thursday, President Milei was speedy to denote that helium would artifact the pension hike.

"I stake a 100 1000 to 1 that you each cognize what I'm going to do. You cognize what? We're going to veto it. And if, by immoderate chance, which I don't judge volition happen, but if the veto is overturned, we volition instrumentality it to court," helium said.

But helium besides turned connected his vice-president, reposting a remark connected X successful which she was labelled a "traitor, a demagogue and anserine successful economical terms".

Villarruel responded connected Instagram arguing that pensioners and radical with disabilities "could not wait" immoderate longer for their payments to beryllium raised and suggested the president should marque savings by spending little connected the quality services and connected his travels.

Since becoming president successful December 2023, Milei has travelled overseas extensively.

In 1 of the astir publicised events, he wielded the chainsaw which has go emblematic of his authorities cuts earlier handing it to Elon Musk astatine the US Conservative Political Action Conference.

Villarruel besides urged the president "to talk and enactment similar an adult" successful responses she gave her critics connected Instagram.