Argentina draft 2026 budget spotlights fiscal balance, hikes social allocations

BUENOS AIRES, Sept 15 (Reuters) - Argentina's President Javier Milei on Monday presented the government's proposal for next year's budget, which he said would guarantee a fiscal balance, a cornerstone of his economic policy, while also hiking funds for healthcare, education and pensions.

"There is no other way but that of fiscal balance," Milei said in a national address, ahead of a high-stakes legislative election in which Milei's libertarian party is aiming to secure enough seats to keep Congress from overriding his vetoes.

Next year should see Argentina log a fiscal surplus, or, "in the worst case scenario," a fiscal balance, he added.

He said that the proposal would include a "rule of fiscal stability," which means that if costs exceed expectations the budget should be adjusted to maintain a fiscal balance.

He did not provide any macroeconomic forecasts from the budget.

Milei said 85% of the proposed budget would be destined for education, healthcare and pensions, including a 17% increase in allocations for healthcare, 8% for education and 5% for pensions, on top of inflation.

"This means that this government's priority, as we have always said, is human capital," Milei added.

Milei's government has dramatically brought down yearly inflation from the triple digits it reached before he came into office.

However, his government's popularity has been hit ahead of the key elections by a corruption scandal and the fallout of his austerity measures for the disabled and pensioners, which have fueled regular protests in the capital, Buenos Aires.

Local elections in Buenos Aires province earlier this month saw the opposition Peronists score a solid victory over the ruling party, raising doubts on the minority government's ability to gain more seats in Congress and secure its agenda.

Milei will send the proposal to Congress later tonight, he said.