Governor Figueroa with Minister Santilli in Neuquén Prefecture/Prensa Neuquén
The Minister of the Interior, Diego Santilli, met yesterday in Neuquén with the governor of that province, Rolando Figueroa, with whom they discussed the 2026 budget and the reforms proposed by the executive branch.
This exchange is part of the agenda that Santilli faced with the aim of working with the conservatives, “listening to their agendas and their action proposals, and thus dialogue with the National Congress to promote and strengthen the structural reforms that Argentina needs.”
During the day, Santilli and Figueroa highlighted “the importance of mutual action and dialogue between the provinces and the nation.”
On the table was discussion about the 2026 budget law, tax reform, labor market modernization, and the new penal code.
Figueroa noted that “Neuquen will play an essential role in the design and construction of the new Argentina” and considered that the dialogue “will always be fruitful.”
“We are not fighting for the sake of fighting, we are fighting for Neuquén,” the regional leader said, adding that his government would support “every action that benefits Neuquén and drives us to growth.”
“There are many perspectives on growth that match, and some that may not match,” Figueroa said. “But it is important to work on coincidences and moving forward with them is the beginning of a great path.”
For his part, Santilli explained that this is his first official visit to Neuquén, which was “commissioned by the President of State, Javier Miley, to implement common agendas: those of the governor and the province, and those related to the president’s reforms going forward.”
He said that among the topics of interest to the national government are “generating work to leave the informal sector and move to the formal sector; reducing taxes, as the president has done during these 20 months of administration; and resolving the positions that each province has, in this case Neuquén, and obviously also has a budget going forward, which is what we are starting to discuss with the governors.”
He also pointed to the need for a “new penal code,” and said: “We should take an example: the province is also working to move forward with its laws. This is the way.”
Oil workers and repair work
Interior Secretary Diego Santelli forecasts the next steps the government will take to achieve its goal of approving labor reform in Congress.
During his visit to Neuquen, Santelli stressed that “the government is working on a reform that will be implemented soon. We will discuss it this week in the Council of Ministers, and then we will begin the path of dialogue that refers to modernizing the work.”
Santelli gave the modifications made at Vaca Muerta as an example of labor reform.
“A very important reform was carried out here and Vaca Muerta grew. I had to modernize the work in the collective oil agreement with (Guillermo) Pereira, and this allowed it to expand and double the number of workers in the sector where the investment came and developed,” the official said.
He added: “This is the way, and this is where modernization of labor points. Not changing the rights of those who are there, but giving rights to those who are outside. There are more outside than inside, and there are more unofficial than official.”
Legislative support
The Interior Minister is seeking key legislative support to move forward with the approval of priority laws and the 2026 budget in the midst of a fragmented political scenario.
Santelli’s tour included visits to provinces such as Mendoza, where he met with Alfredo Cornejo, and Neuquen, where he met yesterday with Rolando Figueroa.
There were also talks with Gustavo Sainz in Salta, Osvaldo Galdo in Tucumán, and other governors such as Ricardo Quintilla (La Rioja), Gildo Ensfran (Formosa), Gerardo Zamora (Santiago del Estero), Raúl Jalil (Catamarca), and Hugo Passalacqua (Misiones).
The main goal of these efforts is to gather the will in Congress to facilitate approval of legislative initiatives that the national government considers to be priorities. Among them, the 2026 budget stands out.
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