Argentina’s President seeks impeachment of Supreme Court leader

Argentine President Alberto Fernández is seeking to impeach the leader of the country’s Supreme Court, in a move that heightens his recent rivalry with the court but is unlikely to succeed in Congress.

Fernández wrote in a New Year’s letter that he had gained support from some governors to move forward with impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court chief Horacio Rosatti.

Last month, Rosatti ordered the federal government to reimburse funds owed to the opposition-controlled city of Buenos Aires.

“In recent months, we have seen an unacceptable advance of the national judiciary over other powers in Argentina,” wrote Fernandez. “It is my responsibility to promote action when the federal system is in crisis.”

Rosatti is unlikely to be impeached because Argentine law requires two-thirds of the Chamber of Representatives to agree to bring charges against him, and the same majority in the Senate to support the case. Fernández’s coalition, which is already struggling to hold itself together ahead of this year’s presidential elections, lacks that presence in the legislature.

Fernández initially refused to comply with the court order to transfer the money; he later said he would pay the city in bonds due in 2031, which city leaders rejected.

The case stems from a conflict that took place in 2020, when Fernández withdrew federal resources from the city and handed them over to the province of Buenos Aires, controlled by his coalition.

The money was to pay for police pay increases. The president justified the change by claiming that the city is much richer per capita than the province.

With information from Bloomberg