"It was time": Manuel Adorni explained the appointments of Lijo and García-Mansilla and assured that the position of Kirchnerism "does not matter much"

Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni held a press conference on Tuesday in which he addressed various issues on the government's agenda. Among them, he defended the appointment of Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla as Supreme Court judges , justified Argentina's abstention in the UN regarding Russia and Ukraine , and explained the decision to appoint Alec Oxenford as ambassador to the United States by decree .

Adorni justified President Javier Milei 's decision to appoint Lijo and García-Mansilla by decree, arguing that the Judiciary needed to complete its integration after a year without progress in the Senate.

"The appointment of judges on commission was going to be subject to our understanding that the Justice system could have some kind of inconvenience in its operation. Almost a year has passed since the presentation of the documents. It was time to appoint them on commission," he explained.

Adorni also blamed the Senate for the lack of progress and stressed that the judges meet the technical requirements for the position. " We are not talking about partisan issues, but rather technical and suitability issues, which both have more than met, " he said.

He also dismissed the opposition's criticism and targeted Kirchnerism and the left: " When they are not in power, those who govern are 'a dictatorship' and it is 'anti-democratic'. It matters little whether they call us anti-democratic or that we are violating the Constitution ."

Regarding Argentina's abstention in the UN vote on the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, Adorni clarified that Milei did not communicate with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .

"We always had peace as a priority in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The best way to try to achieve peace, which until now had not been achieved, was to support the US resolution, which was a good opportunity to end the pain of people who have been suffering for a long time ," he argued.

The presidential spokesman assured that this position does not imply a distancing from Europe or from other strategic allies.

Adorni also defended the appointment of Alec Oxenford as ambassador to the United States through a presidential decree, after his nomination was not discussed in extraordinary sessions.

"The President did not want to delay the process and decided to speed up the process. Oxenford had already had meetings with some senators and meets all the eligibility requirements," he explained.

Asked about the lack of official statements regarding Pope Francis' health , Adorni said that the government is closely following the situation and is in contact with his entourage.

" Both the President and all of us who are part of the Government are praying for him and hoping for a speedy recovery. Our Secretary of Culture is in constant communication with the Pope's inner circle ," he said.

The spokesman also mentioned that executive officials participated in meetings in Buenos Aires to pray for the health of the Supreme Pontiff.

Adorni's statements come at a time of strong political tension , with the opposition questioning the Executive's recent decisions and the ruling party seeking to consolidate its government strategy. With the opening of ordinary sessions on March 1 , Milei is expected to reinforce his position and explain on national television the reasons behind these measures.