President Javier Milei rejected an offer of resignation from Patricia Bullrich, the leader of the La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate [1, 2].
The incident signals internal friction within the ruling party's legislative strategy. The dispute centers on the administration's power to appoint judges and the level of autonomy Senate leaders have in opposing executive decisions.
Bullrich offered her resignation following a disagreement with the government's decision to withdraw the judicial nomination of judge María Verónica Michelli [1, 3]. Bullrich opposed the removal of the nomination pliego, leading to the tension between the bloc leader and the presidency [4, 5].
Reports on the nature of the exchange vary among sources. Some reports state Bullrich explicitly offered her resignation to Milei [1, 2, 6]. However, representatives for Bullrich said to other outlets that she did not offer a formal resignation, but rather stated that her leadership of the bloc was at the disposal of the president [3].
Despite the disagreement, Milei refused to accept the resignation [1, 2]. The La Libertad Avanza bloc in the Senate remained in a state of deliberation following the exchange [1].
The conflict highlights a specific point of contention regarding the judicial nomination of Michelli, a candidate for a judgeship in La Plata [5]. The decision by the executive branch to pull the nomination created a rift with Bullrich, who viewed the move unfavorably [4, 5].
“President Javier Milei rejected an offer of resignation from Patricia Bullrich”
This friction reveals a precarious balance of power within the La Libertad Avanza coalition. While President Milei maintains ultimate authority, the willingness of a high-ranking official like Bullrich to put her position 'at disposal' over a single judicial appointment suggests that the ruling bloc may not be as monolithic as it appears. The resolution of this tension will likely dictate how the administration handles future judicial nominations and legislative discipline in the Senate.
