The president of the Chamber of Deputies and Deputies, Vlado Mirosevic, recognizes his first stage heading the Corporation as “hostile days”, after a tense negotiation that at the last minute leaned in favor of the ruling party to guarantee his election. But from then on, the liberal deputy experienced the complex climate of coexistence that exists these days in a divided and polarized National Congress, with some cracks appearing on both sides of power, both on the left and on the right.
And it is that from his narrow triumph, Mirosevic has been the protagonist of several episodes that stressed his arrival at the head of the Chamber, with criticism, summons and even five threats of censorship. It is also worth remembering the incident he experienced while giving his first speech in his new position, when Deputy René Alinco interrupted him – “Talk to everyone, President”, Alinco said according to his colleagues -, trapping the signal of unity that the new helmsman of the Corporación sought to arouse in a tense and harshly divided space.
But this week Mirosevic clashed harshly with a sector of Chile Vamos, after that sector accused the president of the Chamber of “hurrying up” the vote and also of “cutting off the possibility” that some opposition parliamentarians would vote. around an indication to the 2023 Budget Law, which sought to increase the Universal Guaranteed Pension (PGU) to $250,000. In this regard, the former spokesman for the official Approval command said this Friday that he did not personalize the problems in his person, since in his opinion, “if Nelson Mandela were in office, he would be having the same problems.”
-What is the balance that you make of these first days in the front of the Chamber? Why do you speak of hostility?
-They have been very hostile days, the truth is that there is a climate in the Chamber that is not the best, where there has been a confrontation between benches for a long time, and I believe that a healthy democracy has been lost. Part of my main objective as president is, on the one hand, to bring order and, on the other, to rebuild democratic coexistence in Congress. From this point of view, these have been difficult days, because I have come across exactly what I want to avoid, which are incidents and confrontations that I think we must leave aside, because regardless of who defends their political ideas, Congress and democracy must be taken care of, and respect must be imposed among parliamentarians, because it is impossible for us to ask the citizenry not to become polarized, when that is precisely what we politicians do. That is why my main objective is going to be to reinstate civic respect.
– What is your strategy to face this hostile climate? Have you identified the sector in Congress that, in your opinion, generates such an environment?
-I am not going to get tired of making gestures inviting dialogue, because I believe it is my duty as president of the Chamber, however, it is evident that there are sectors that are more hostile, which I believe corresponds to a minority group in the Chamber , and that it is transversal and does not correspond to a single political sector. It is an undisciplined group that believes that by shouting their ideas will be imposed. It is a minority but with the ability to make a fuss, that is why I am not going to allow the bullies to take over Congress and I am going to oppose that and I am going to try to impose the regulation, although it is a regulation that I do not like. completely accompanies, and that is why we are going to propose modifications. But I think we must continue to insist on dialogue and respect.
– What do you say about the accusation of Chile Vamos that accuses you of “crafty practices” to speed up the vote of an opposition indication around the PGU?
-Regarding the PGU and voting, I believe that the duty to vote is a duty of each parliamentarian. If there are parliamentarians who are not in the Chamber, I cannot be responsible for that, because we had 22 hours of uninterrupted session, and every time there was a vote, we called with the call bells, and if despite that, the parliamentarians they did not come to the vote, that is not the responsibility of the president, whoever the president is. Therefore, I would say that there is the responsibility of the parliamentarians themselves who did not attend the vote, who arrived late, or who simply did not arrive. Therefore, it is impossible to hold the president of the Chamber responsible for a group of deputies who do not vote, because being there willing to vote is the individual responsibility of each one.
-The ruling party was left with the Presidency of the Chamber, but in a complex context, what is your reading of the current political scenario and what are your main challenges in the midst of a polarized space such as Congress?
-It was initially said that it was impossible for us to achieve a majority, and we did. That was against all odds, at least the forecast of the political world and some sectors of the press. Being today, I think there is a certain normalization of practices, where a certain aggressiveness in tone and speech has been normalized, to which we have to put a quick shortcut and reinstate civic coexistence. In this regard, my role is going to be to bring positions closer together and prevent the bullying from taking over Congress, because Congress is not the home of bullying, but rather a space where democratic tolerance must prevail.
– “Another thing is with the guitar,” said President Gabriel Boric a few days ago, which for some is a sign of a “second time” for the Government after a troubled first stage. Do you think there is greater self-criticism and humility in the ruling party? Is it justified that the legislative urgency of the Executive is today regarding the tax reforms and the pension system?
-I notice that there is a new moment in the Government. I think there is a good atmosphere, there is optimism, and I see the President in a good tone, with sensitivity and the ability to listen. In this regard, I believe that we are going to have to vote on two very important reforms, which are the tax and the pension system. I hope that there is a capacity for dialogue, and for this reason I call on the Opposition to have a constructive attitude . I believe that these are necessary reforms that have been expected for a long time, because currently, with the collection capacity that Chile has today, it cannot take care of the social demands that exist. In this regard, countries that have a more civilized social pact and therefore have more social peace and less inequalities, have a greater capacity to collect money to finance social rights.
Therefore, the tax reform is fully justified, and regarding the reform of the pension system, 15 years have been waiting for a reform of this type, and I believe that beyond the ideological debates, where there are sectors of the right that are very much in love Despite their ideological positions, I believe that the most important thing is to define the model that guarantees more money in the pocket of the elderly and pensioners, and in this sense, this reform has an advantage because it offers a model that allows immediate payment, once the reform is approved.
-Finally, how is the conversation about the continuity of the constituent process going? How trapped is the discussion with the Opposition?
-I was the last to arrive at the constituent process, because I just assumed the Chamber and I have had to participate in only two meetings. I am rather updating myself on what the conversations are about, I hope that the process advances, understanding that they have already been in dialogue for two months. I would not dare to make a forecast about it, because I am just arriving and catching up on this conversation.
