Argentinian Senate Rejects Millet’s Nomination for Supreme Court Justice

Argentina’s Senate on Thursday (April 3) rejected the two nominees for the Supreme Court justices proposed by President Javier Milei in February, a move that could impact the judicial and economic reform processes promoted by Milei’s government.

Milei invoked Article 99, Section 4 of the Constitution during the parliamentary recess in February, which allows the president to appoint officials requiring Senate approval during the parliamentary recess, and nominated federal judge Ariel Lijo and law professor Manuel García-Mansilla to fill the two vacant seats on the five-member Supreme Court.

Previously, Milei’s government had nominated them as candidates for Supreme Court justices in April of last year, but failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority vote in the Senate for confirmation, causing the process to stall. Therefore, Milei bypassed the Senate’s obstruction and directly appointed them in February this year.

This move sparked questions from some lawmakers, who argued that bypassing the parliamentary review process raised issues regarding the limits of executive powers. Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza (LLA), holds only 7 out of the 72 seats in the Senate.

The appointments made through presidential decree are only “temporary” in nature and can be rejected by the Senate at any time.

In the Senate vote held this Thursday, neither candidate obtained the necessary two-thirds majority vote, leading to their rejection: Lijo received 27 votes in favor and 43 against, while García-Mansilla garnered 21 votes in favor and 51 against. Lijo faced criticism due to multiple disciplinary investigations (including suspicion of delaying corruption cases), while García-Mansilla encountered resistance from the left-wing Peronist opposition due to his conservative stance on issues such as abortion.

Some opposing views emphasize that important judicial positions should result from negotiations between the executive and legislative branches to maintain institutional balance and judicial independence.

In response to the Senate’s decision, the President’s Office released a statement expressing regret, emphasizing the nominees’ full professional qualifications, and contending that the rejection was “completely based on political considerations rather than on suitability.” The statement highlighted that the long-term vacancies in the Supreme Court seats equate to hindering the normal operation of the judicial system.

The statement concluded by emphasizing that Milei will “use all powers granted by the Constitution and the electorate to work towards rebuilding the people’s confidence in state institutions.”

Currently, there are still two vacant seats on Argentina’s Supreme Court, and the nomination and negotiation of future candidates are expected to remain a key political issue domestically.

(This article referenced relevant reports from the Associated Press)