22/06/2026 21:20 - Politica
La Libertad Avanza's political strategy appears to have paid off: the ruling bloc, led by Martín Menem, has reached an agreement with PRO and UCR to withhold quorum during Sunday's special session, which was convened primarily to interpellate Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni.
The maneuver aims to defuse the political crisis triggered by the illicit enrichment scandal known as "AdorniGate," in which the official's net worth allegedly increased by 775% (from roughly $20 million pesos to $944 million pesos) according to public complaints. Instead of facing interpellation on the floor, the matter will be referred to the Constitutional Affairs and Petitions Committee, and the Powers and Regulations Committee, both controlled by the ruling party.
La Libertad Avanza is the right-wing libertarian coalition led by President Javier Milei, currently Argentina's governing force.
PRO (Propuesta Republicana) is a center-right party founded by former President Mauricio Macri.
UCR (Unión Cívica Radical) is Argentina's oldest political party, a traditional centrist force.
An "interpellation" in Argentine Congress is a formal summons requiring a government official to appear and answer questions. If unsatisfied, legislators can censure or even seek removal.
The agreement allows the ruling party to buy time. Without quorum for the special session, committees will only be enabled starting June 30, 2026, which means the debate will stretch beyond the winter parliamentary recess and the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Sources within the libertarian bloc confided that the intention is for the Justice system, rather than politics, to determine Adorni's fate.
A Radical legislator summarized his party's stance: "We will enable the committees to debate the issue there, and then we'll see", confirming the decision not to attend the floor for the interpellation session.
The opposition had managed to gather 120 of the 129 signatures needed for the censorship motion, and will seek to "expose" legislators who fail to attend. However, the agreement between the largest opposition blocs (PRO and UCR) and the ruling party complicates matters for those pushing for immediate interpellation.
From the PRO, legislators such as Cristian Ritondo warned that the margin for maneuver is narrow: "If a new scandal or anything else surfaces, everything falls apart. There's no room to keep looking the other way if something else comes up", referencing the fragility of Adorni's situation.
With Sunday's special session thwarted by lack of quorum, the ruling party plans to call for a session on Wednesday, but with its own agenda. The main topics would be the "Super RIGI" (Large Investment Incentive Regime) and the holdouts agreement.
The political maneuver aims not only to protect Adorni but also to unlock the parliamentary agenda that had been stalled by the crisis surrounding his figure. The Chief of Staff would remain in office in the meantime.
| Patrimony increase: | 775% ($20M → $944M pesos) |
| Signatures for censorship: | 120 of 129 required |
| Committees enabled from: | June 30, 2026 |
| Next session day: | Wednesday |
Alfredo S. Quiroga
