Judicial joy for Milei, Mercosur-EFTA deal wins backing

President Javier Milei’s government enjoyed another victory in Congress Thursday when the Senate voted to approve the appointments of 67 judges in total, including two key positions.

The upper chamber’s backed the naming of Pablo Bertuzzi and Pablo Yadarola to key strategic benches tackling investigations into the ‘$LIBRA’ cryptocurrency scandal and corruption allegations at the ANDIS national disability agency, cases in which the Milei siblings are directly impacted. 

Most of the appointments were approved by 66 of the 72 senators but Bertuzzi was more controversial, cleared by a 44-23 margin in a separate vote.

Peronist caucus chief José Mayans (Partido Justicialist-Formosa) had indicated in advance that his senators would vote for 66 of the 67 judges, arguing that the Judiciary was undergoing a “phenomenal crisis” due to vacancies, but he insisted on a separate vote for Bertuzzi. 

Mayans also commented in passing during debate that President Milei was “insane,” a comment unlikely to endear himself to the head of state, who in recent days has attacked his opponents fiercely on social media.

With Thursday’s votes, the Senate has now cleared approximately a third of the 203 judicial nominations sent its way by Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques.

EFTA-MERCOSUR DEAL

In the same session, the Senate approved five international agreements, including most notably a free-trade agreement with the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The group is made up of four countries who are not members of the  European Union: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Senators also backed a new extradition treaty with Chile and approved an initiative from Kirchnerite senator Ana Marks (Fuerza Patria-Río Negro) seeking to send three bills addressing the problems of families in debt to committee.

Finally, libertarian caucus chief Patricia Bullrich (La Libertad Avanza-Capital Federal) announced her intention of placing political reform on next week’s agenda.

– TIMES/NA