Political clash: UCR accuses Javier Milei of trampling on "the institutional order" by appointing judges by decree

The government of Javier Milei announced on Tuesday the appointment of judges Ariel Lijo and Manuel García Mansilla to form part of the Supreme Court of Justice. The decision generated strong rejection from the Radical Civic Union ( UCR ), which described the maneuver as "a contempt for the Constitution and republican institutions." In a harsh statement, the opposition party warned that the appointment "implies an advance in an authoritarian logic."

"Our Constitution establishes a complex mechanism for the integration of the highest Court of Justice, a mechanism that requires dialogue and consensus building; something that the President is not accustomed to and which he openly rejects," the UCR said in a statement posted on social media.

"The Executive Branch has not achieved the necessary consensus for its candidates and, consequently, it is resorting to a shortcut to circumvent the institutional order with arguments that do not withstand the slightest legal or political analysis," they questioned. Milei's measure with respect to the two judges will be taken by decree and will be in force until the end of the next legislative period, according to data from the President's Office in an official statement.

Another point highlighted in the radical statement is that the measure "violates the requirement of parity, an essential principle to which (the president) is bound by laws and international treaties."

The party also rejected the arguments of the ruling party regarding historical precedents of appointments by commission. "The few precedents that exist occurred in contexts substantially different from the current situation," warned the UCR.

"With this authoritarian and irresponsible attitude, the President is only destroying any possibility of rebuilding national and international public confidence in our country. Without legal security, without firm and solid institutions, without respect for constitutional rules, there is no possible economic growth or general well-being," the radicals said.