Protesters in Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires. Maximiliano Ramos/Demotix. All rights reserved.
Before taking office, Mauricio Macri led the group of politicians who strongly criticized, back in 2013, the judiciary reforms - "to democratize justice" – put forward by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s government. The main objection he raised was that they did not conform to the normal dynamics of institutional dialogue in a Republican system, and that they eroded judicial independence. Macri (then Mayor of the City of Buenos Aires) was at the front of several demonstrations against the reforms, which were passed by the Argentine parliament but were ultimately rejected, to a great extent, by the Supreme Court.
In 2015, during the presidential election campaign, Macri’s Republican Proposal (PRO) platform included his commitment to "strengthen the rule of law, strictly respecting the division of powers, the independence of justice and the constitutional principles and guarantees, together with full freedom of expression". Macri pointed out also that the greatest shortcoming of Kirchnerism was its disrespect for the Argentine institutions, which adversely affected the principle of separation of powers. The restoration of the independence of the judiciary was one of his main campaign slogans.
