The University of Buenos Aires (UBA) reiterated its concerns about the budgetary situation of national universities and the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff. This time, the resolution adopted by the Supreme Council indicates that the possible sanction of the budget, with which the government received a majority opinion yesterday, aggravates the financing situation of previous years and focuses on the “brutal cut” for university hospitals: this is denounced This means that we will receive 30% less budget than in 2025.
They emphasize that if this measure is approved, important public health institutions such as the General San Martín Clinic Hospital, the Ángel H. Roffo Oncology Institute and the Dr. Alfredo Lanari Medical Research Institute, all of which are dependent on the UBA and serve an average of more than 700,000 patients per year.
Yesterday they also warned about the government’s budget project Trade Union Front of National Universities, the Argentine University Federation (FUA) and the National Interuniversity Council (CIN)which brings together the rectors of national universities. “Given the gravity of the case and with sufficient time, we warn that under these conditions it is impossible for public universities to carry out all activities normally in 2026,” the three institutions noted.
“This statement is inconsistent, it is an unnecessary provocation and plunges the country’s university and scientific community into an even deeper crisis than the current one,” they emphasized, explaining that the statement not only does not change the draft budget presented by the executive branch – which, according to the rectors, will be inadequate – but, moreover, contains an article that intends to do so Repeal of the Higher Education Financing Act that its enforcement is still awaiting a court decision.
Yesterday the government enforced its decision with the possible repeal of the Emergency Disability Act and the University Financing Act. With the support of Pro, the UCR and the MID, as well as the support of the governors of Catamarca, Salta, Misiones, Tucumán and San Juan, the project was approved today by the deputies.
Now with the quorum Thanks precisely to the support of the Allied blocs, the debate about the Budget law 2026 and the Government has managed to impose its criteria in such a way that the discussion in question avoids voting on each article and that it is carried out on a chapter-by-chapter basis, although it is aware of the risk that could be taken in this case.
Both regulations were never implemented by the administration, although they were supported by both houses of Congress this year after the executive branch vetoed them.
The resolution signed today by the Supreme Council of the UBA calls on MPs to reject or modify the government’s position and agree to a proposal that takes into account the real needs of national universities. In addition to the full implementation of the University Financing Act with the recomposition of salaries, they point out that they have already lost almost half of their purchasing power in the last two years. They also extend the request to the Senate, where the budget must then be discussed.
“We call on the legislators who accompanied us in the legislative debates that allowed us to adopt a key law for the functioning of universities, understanding our concerns and the vigorous demonstration of Argentine society, to maintain their position,” they agreed yesterday in a statement signed by the Trade Union Front of National Universities, the FUA and the CIN.
When President Javier Milei presented the budget last September, he first listed universities among the sensitive issues and said that they would be allocated $4.8 billion as part of the project. He failed to mention that it was only a nominal increase of around 14% compared to what was planned for this year, which was around $4.2 billion.
Assuming the macroeconomic forecasts contained in the 2026 project – inflation of 24.5% for 2025 and 10.1% for 2026 – according to calculations by the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) would mean a real increase of 0.8%. It is also a very long way from the $7.3 billion that the principals had demanded in order to function. According to ACIJ, the reduction in university spending explains 5% of the overall decline in state funding between 2023 and 2026.
There are some points, such as infrastructure, that were not implemented this year, even though there was a budget for them. The demand for funds and the defense of the public university was the demand that led to the first major march against the Milei government in March 2024. The second mobilization took place in October last year.
About The Author
