Karina Milei and and Patricia Bullrich the clear winners in President Milei’s new Cabinet structure

The results of last month’s midterm elections, in which La Libertad Avanza garnered 41 percent of the vote and finished ahead in 15 provinces, have begun to be reflected in President Javier Milei’s new-look government.

On Tuesday, the publication in the Official Gazette of Decree 793/2025, issued by Milei, established new structures for the Executive Branch.

The great winners of the measure are Presidential Chief-of-Staff Karina Milei and National Security Ministry Patricia Bullrich. The big loser, at least at first glance, is the incoming Diego Santilli, who was sworn in at 3pm Tuesday in the Salón Blanco at the helm of an Interior Ministry significantly reduced in scope.

Previously presidential spokesman, Manuel Adorni is Karina Milei’s direct delegate as Cabinet chief. He will absorb the Communication & Media Secretariat in his new role, retaining control of the government’s narrative. As a result, Javier Lanari – Adorni’s right-hand man – will stay under his orbit, although without ministerial rank. Lanari, who at one point flirted with a Misiones Congress candidacy, will continue to be part of the communications team, now in new surroundings. 

The new-look Cabinet Chief’s Office will also absorb the areas of Tourism, Environment & Sports Secretariat, which continue under the everlasting Daniel Scioli, who has again survived all the ministerial changes, despite the exit of Guillermo Francos, a key figure for his proximity to President Milei. 

Scioli, the former Buenos Aires Province governor, managed to hang onto his post despite the crossfire riddling the Cabinet in recent weeks.

With the transfer of the Communication & Media Secretariat, the area of official communication will cease to depend directly on the Presidential Office, passing under the Cabinet Chief – i.e. Adorni, who plans to continue with announcements and press conferences, although more sporadically than previously. 

The absorption of the Communications & Media Secretariat, together with the Tourism, Environment & Sports Secretariat, represents a direct expansion of Karina Milei’s influence, consolidating the presidential sister’s control of key areas in terms of funding, public media and communication strategy.

The other great winner from this decree is Bullrich. Although she will leave the National Security Ministry as from December 10, the former PRO chair will retain her grip on immigration policies, via the Immigration Department and the RENAPER (Registro Nacional de las Personas) national registry.

This will be a kind of institutional heritage which will remain in the hands of current Security Secretary Alejan-dra Monteoliva, Bullrich’s close ally, according to all indications.

“The Security Ministry controls the frontiers via the Border Guard [Gendarmería] and on the other hand, immigration controls are tightly linked to the prevention of terrorism and drug-trafficking,” government sources explained to Perfil.

Responsibility for the environment, tourism and sports, as well as immigration and RENAPER have all been stripped from the Interior Ministry, i.e. the new role of Santilli.

The minister who will take charge of contacts with the provinces will thus see his administrative powers curtailed to a maximum and will remain strictly subordinated to the “rosca política,” (political jockeying), the photos with the governors and the agreements to obtain support in advance for legislation and reforms.

This could be a result of disagreements with top presidential advisor Santiago Caputo over moving into an “Interior mega-ministry.” The star advisor demanded all the “works,” but there was no agreement, according to sources.

Yet there was one gesture which passed almost unnoticed and was perhaps seeking a détente with the presidential advisor – two presidential secretaries were promoted to ministerial rank. Both were placed by Caputo: Legal & Technical Secretary María Ibarzabal and SIDE intelligence chief Sergio Neiffert.