The Senate approved 74 judicial nominations on Thursday, including that of María Verónica Michelli whom President Javier Milei sought to withdraw. The session also granted preliminary approval to a 171 million dollar agreement with holdouts.
The upper house approved the nominations with 44 votes in favor and 18 against for Michelli’s nomination to the Tribunal Oral Federal N°3 of La Plata. Patricia Bullrich, head of the La Libertad Avanza bloc, abstained in that vote after a recess and negotiations with the Justicialista bloc. Javier Milei celebrated on social media the approval of the 74 nominations as “a true triumph” and the start of the reconstruction of the judiciary. Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques also highlighted the progress after more than eight years of paralysis in the judicial branch. In the same session, the Senate approved with 40 votes in favor and 22 against the agreement to pay 171 million dollars to the funds Bainbridge Ltd. and Attestor Value Master Fund LP for 2001 default lawsuits. The bill now moves to the Chamber of Deputies before June 30. The session was marked by clashes and internal accusations within the ruling party, with recriminations between Bullrich and sectors close to Karina Milei and Vice President Victoria Villarruel.
