In his first year of management, Javier Milei has implemented a series of significant changes to the structure of the Argentine government. Although he has reduced the number of ministries, he has centralized and expanded the structure of the Presidency, which has generated both praise and criticism.
Since assuming the presidency in December 2023, Javier Milei has carried out a policy of drastic reduction of the inherited cabinet. He began his administration with nine ministries and, towards the end of his first year, reduced the number to eight.
This reduction was achieved through the absorption of the Ministry of Infrastructure by the Ministry of Economy, following the departure of the late Guillermo Ferraro, and the demotion of the Ministry of the Interior to a vice-chief position under the umbrella of the Chief of Staff.
In addition, in the middle of the year, the Ministry of Deregulation and Transformation of the State was created, in charge of supervising and executing the cuts in various areas of government. This measure was part of a broader strategy to reduce the size of the State and improve administrative efficiency.
Despite the reduction of the cabinet, the structure of the Presidency has undergone significant expansion. Milei has created three new secretariats and has increased the number of positions dependent on the head of state, reaching a total of 222 among the General Secretariat, Legal and Technical, Communication and Media, Press, the Secretariat of Strategic Planning and Culture, in addition to the SIDE and the Advisory Council.
This expansion has been led by Karina Milei, sister of the president, who has assumed a central role in the administration. The General Secretariat, headed by Karina Milei, and the Communication and Media Secretariat, led by Manuel Adorni, hold most of the positions: 90 and 54 respectively.
Centralization
This centralization of power in the Presidency has been seen by some as a way to consolidate control and decision-making in a narrow circle of trust. The size of the Presidency structure under Milei It is higher than that of two key ministries that have national territorial deployment, such as Human Capital and Security.
Compared to Alberto Fernández’s cabinet, which had twice as many ministries, the number of positions around the Presidency is almost the same, with 229 positions in the previous administration.
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