New! Shock in Argentina. Senators raised their wage by 136 percent.

A shocking incidental occurred in Argentina, a country in deep economical crisis. On Thursday, Senators decided to grant each another 136 percent increases. Moreover, this decision was made at an express pace, without any public discussion or transparency.

The vote, which ran at amazing speed, lasted only six seconds, was carried out by raising his hand. As a result, Senators' salaries jumped to the dizzying 7.2 million gross pesos per month, i.e. around PLN 21 1000 "on hand", compared to erstwhile PLN 8.9 thousand. This has sparked a media storm, becoming the main subject of the day on Argentina's largest news portals.

The details of the voting procedure, which the observers believe is described by the diary “Clarin”, cast a shadow on the decision-making processes in the Argentine Senate. It has not been revealed who precisely supported this controversial proposal. The recording of the session published on the legislature website contains only the number of the resolution, which complicates further attempts to realize how specified drastic changes have taken place.

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Criticism besides did not bypass president Javier Milei, known for his libertarian beliefs, who promised to fight the privileged "caste" of politicians. Although he assured that the Senators of his organization did not support this initiative, he did not comment or talk against the voting procedure, as any commentators note.

This scandal raises many questions about ethics and accountability of authorities towards citizens who are struggling with an increasingly hard life situation. According to tv writer TN, Jonathan Viale, comparing senators' salaries with teachers' salaries, bus drivers or minimum pay, the difference becomes painfully visible. It is outrageous that in a country where more than half the population lives below the poorness line, a group of politicians decide on specified crucial increases for themselves, disregarding the voice of the people they are to represent.

Clarin/PAP/mn