Argentina President Milei curtails citizen petition rights and Supreme Court selection transparency

President Javier Milei issued a decree that eliminates the public scrutiny stage previously required for selecting candidates to Argentina’s Supreme Court, a practice in place since 2003. At the same time his administration is advancing a draft law that would treat any citizen request to public officials the same as corporate lobbying, creating a mandatory public registry for both private actors and individuals, quarterly reporting requirements, and penalties including fines and imprisonment.

Civil‑society organisations, including Poder Ciudadano’s director Pablo Secchi, warn the measures “criminalise the work of social organisations” and “concentrate control in an authority without independence,” arguing they erode democratic participation and weaken institutional checks.

Around two hundred NGOs, foundations and human‑rights groups have signed a joint statement saying the proposals “do not strengthen democracy, but erode it where it matters most.”