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Argentina Seeks EU Approval to Name Fernando Iglesias Ambassador to the European Union

The move targets Brussels during a decisive phase for the MercosurEU trade deal.

Overview

  • President Javier Milei’s government formally requested the EU’s plácet to appoint Iglesias, a close political ally and current head of the lower house foreign relations committee.
  • The Brussels post has lacked a resident ambassador since June 2024, with career diplomats running the mission in the interim.
  • The designation must be cleared by the European Commission and Council and then pass Argentina’s Senate Agreements Committee before a presidential decree, a process that can take up to about three months.
  • Supporters frame the pick as reinforcing Argentina’s external front as EUMercosur talks eye a possible December signing in Rio de Janeiro, which Brazil is pushing and EU leaders have signaled interest in attending.
  • The prospective appointment may draw political objections because Iglesias is not a career diplomat and previously faced a 2021 judicial inquiry into alleged undeclared foreign accounts.