Senate: with PJ support, the nomination of Verónica Michelli was approved despite the national government's veto
The decision to include the nomination of Verónica Michelli, despite the national government's veto, was supported by the PJ in the Senate.
June 4, 2026 · 7:25 PM
In the Senate, with support from the PJ, the nomination of Verónica Michelli was approved despite the national government's veto.
The Senate approved the nomination of Verónica Michelli, whose candidacy was vetoed by the National Government because she is the sister-in-law of journalist Hugo Alconada Mon, in a clear challenge to President Javier Milei.
Senate approval
Michelli's appointment was approved by 44 votes from Peronism, dialoguist blocs, and libertarian Francisco Paoltroni, while 18 senators from La Libertad Avanza voted against, and the leader of the libertarian bloc, Patricia Bullrich, and the Radical from Chaco, Silvina Schneider, abstained.
Absent from the vote were Luis Juez, Alejandra Vigo from Provincias Unidas, and Peronists Mariano Recalde, Adan Bahal, Marcelo Lewandowski, and María Florencia López.
Bullrich said, "I have a conscientious objection. I am convinced that disciplinary consequences cannot be attributed to a person based on a family relationship. The Senate's evaluation is based on merits, and these have been assessed at the various stages."
Previously, the 73 nominations were voted on by a large majority, including several members of the judicial family, such as the son of the President of the Supreme Court, Emilio Rosatti, Ana Maria Cristina Juan, the wife of federal judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, among others.
The debate
The inclusion of Michelli's nomination was adopted after strong pressure from Peronism following the controversy that arose when La Libertad Avanza tried to include all 73 nominations ready for consideration, despite what was agreed in the Parliamentary Labor meeting.
This situation led to a strong controversy and a request for a recess by Bullrich to organize the session, where it was agreed to include Michelli's nomination, who is a candidate for member of the Oral Court of La Plata.
The president of the Peronist inter-bloc, José Mayans, stated that the good-faith agreements reached in Parliamentary Labor were being broken and asked the Deputy Secretary of Parliament, Dolores Martínez, to confirm whether only 50 nominations were included.
In that regard, Villarruel said, "50 nominations were indeed mentioned, and before the session, all nominations were added."
After the conflict broke out, Bullrich requested a recess that lasted almost an hour, during which it was agreed to consider all nominations ready for discussion on the session floor.
Pending were the appointments of judges Alejandro Catania and Juan Galván Greenway, due to their alleged ties to the head of the AFA, Claudio Chiqui Tapia, as well as that of Juan Manuel Mejuto due to his possible closeness to Kirchnerism and the group K Justicia Legítima.
The nominations
The Senate approved 73 reports detailing candidates to fill judicial vacancies, including the nominations of the son of the President of the Court, Emilio Rossi, the wife of federal judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi, Ana Maria Cristina Juan, the children of Germán Moldes, Juan Pablo Moldes, and former appellate judge Alberto Duran, Laureano Duran.
Also approved was the nomination of María Julia Sosa, secretary of the court of Julián Ercolini, the magistrate who handled high-profile cases involving former President Cristina Kirchner, such as Vialidad and Hotesur-Los Sauces.
Former Macri official Jorge Djivaris became a member of the National Chamber of Appeals in Commercial Matters of the Federal Capital, and received a challenge.
The list of approved nominations includes court secretary Juan Pedro Guidici as judge of the First Instance Commercial Court of the Federal Capital, Morón prosecutor Mario Ferrario as appellate judge of the Federal Oral Criminal Court No. 2 of San Martín.
Also approved was the candidacy of Nicolás Pacilio, son of former appellate judge Antonio Pacilio, and Pablo Wilk, proposed as appellate judge of the Federal Oral Criminal Court No. 2 of La Plata, who was mentioned in the case known as "Gestapo antisindical."
