Cristina and Mauricio Macri, united by a suggestive silence on the appointments by decree of Lijo and García-Mansilla

In harsh terms, from “unconstitutional” to a “republican horror,” opposition leaders questioned Javier Milei’s decision to move forward with a decree to appoint Ariel Lijo and Manuel García-Mansilla to the Supreme Court. However, in this case Cristina Kirchner and Mauricio Macri agreed in a suggestive silence.

During the first hours following the announcement, the leader of the PJ did not make any statements or express herself on her social networks. José Mayans, head of the senators' bloc and vice president of the party, insisted that Unión por la Patria will seek to reject the decree in the upper house. Other leaders of the space also spoke out against it.

“Milei’s decree to appoint judges to the Court is an unconstitutional and illegitimate intervention in the highest body of the Judiciary. He needs an automatic majority that guarantees him impunity for his crypto-fraud and legalizes the largest and most illegal adjustment in history,” said Martín Soria, former Minister of Justice and current deputy of Unión por la Patria.

From that block, another of the first to question the Government's maneuver was Leandro Santoro. " Macri and Milei fight over the waterway and the positions on the lists, but when it comes to appointing judges by decree, they are equal. The Constitution is clear. A judge of the Court is not an employee of the President. The Senate has to stop this madness," the deputy posted.

“Another blow to the Republic! We cannot allow a government of decrees to be consolidated that tramples on the will of the people and concentrates power in a few hands. It is urgent that the delegation of extraordinary powers be repealed ,” demanded deputy Victoria Tolosa Paz on social media.

Like Cristina Kirchner, Mauricio Macri did not speak out either. “He already spoke at the time,” was all that was said by those close to the former president in reference to an interview in August , in which he described Lijo’s candidacy as a “mistake” and announced that the majority of PRO senators would vote against his nomination.

“From an institutional and republican point of view, it is a real horror. As for Lijo, it is a corruption scandal of national and international magnitude ,” tweeted Elisa Carrió, perhaps one of the most critical of the federal judge's nomination.

From the Civic Coalition, other representatives reinforced their rejection. “By forcing the Constitution, Milei seeks to guarantee his impunity and that of his sister with Lijo in the Court. But sooner or later he will be blackmailed. Poor Argentine people, condemned to make a pilgrimage for Justice. The Senate can still say no to Lijo,” said Juan Manuel López, head of the bloc of deputies.

“ Once again, he shows his contempt for the Constitution and his devotion to lying as a method,” said Martín Lousteau, president of the UCR, to Milei. “We see it every day, the first was with the DNU 70 that has as many unconstitutional elements as accomplices. But there are many who say one thing and then endorse another. They talk about the Republic, about transparency and then vote against an investigative commission,” added the senator, alluding to the internal conflict in his party.

“Argentina and institutional indigence” was the title of a text critical of the Government’s decision by Pablo Juliano, president of the Democracy for Ever bloc. “Two of the five ministers of the highest court were ‘smuggled’ by the Executive without the Senate’s agreement,” the radical considered, and linked criticism to the second consecutive extension of the Budget and the investigation in the country and in the United States for the crypto scandal. “With what face will he speak before Congress on Saturday if it is clear that he does not believe in republican institutions?” he concluded.

Margarita Stolbizer, leader of the GEN, spoke of a “decree to impunity.” “To appoint judges to the Court by decree is always wrong, but doing it with Lijo shows that the degradation of these people is total. Even his friend Putin must think it is too much,” the deputy of Encuentro Federal said ironically.