Argentina’s political landscape shifted dramatically this week, as President Javier Milei’s chief of staff, Guillermo Francos, resigned just days after the president’s party secured a resounding victory in the pivotal midterm elections. The move, announced on Friday, October 31, 2025, signals not just a change in personnel, but the dawn of a new phase for Milei’s administration, one that promises to accelerate the radical reforms that have defined his presidency so far.
Francos, a 75-year-old veteran of Argentine politics with decades of experience at the heart of government, stepped down after weeks of swirling speculation. In a statement released to the press, Francos explained his decision: he was resigning so that Milei “may face without constraints the stage of government that begins after the national elections.” According to The Washington Post, Francos’ exit was widely anticipated and is seen as the first step in what’s expected to be a broader Cabinet shake-up—a tradition in Argentina following major elections.
Francos’ resignation was not the only high-profile departure that day. Interior Minister Guillermo Catalán also handed in his resignation, underscoring the sense that the Milei administration is entering a period of significant transition. The timing is no coincidence: less than a week earlier, on Sunday, October 26, Milei’s governing La Libertad Avanza bloc stunned pollsters with a landslide win in the legislative elections, securing a new mandate to pursue its ambitious program of economic overhaul.
The election results, combined with a $40 billion pledge from the Trump administration in the United States, have injected fresh momentum into Milei’s government. The president wasted no time in announcing his next move: Manuel Adorni, his main spokesperson known for combative press conferences and a sharp, ideological defense of the administration’s agenda, will step in as chief of staff starting Monday, November 3. Adorni, who has served as Milei’s spokesperson since the start of his presidency, is expected to retain that role even after assuming his new duties.
“This change responds to the election results, the need to renew political dialogue and the beginning of this second phase,” Milei said in a statement, as reported by Buenos Aires Herald. He thanked Francos for “his service to the nation during these last two years of profound reforms that required continuous dialogue with various political forces.” The president’s words reflect both gratitude for Francos’ steady hand during a tumultuous period and a clear intention to chart a bolder course in the months ahead.
Francos’ tenure as chief of staff began in 2024, when Milei, then a political outsider, sought the guidance of a seasoned dealmaker to help push a sweeping package of budget and investment reforms through a skeptical Congress. Before his promotion, Francos served as interior minister, where he was charged with managing the government’s often fraught relationships with provincial leaders—many of whom were deeply opposed to the spending cuts and fiscal austerity measures at the heart of Milei’s economic vision.
Francos was a figure who inspired both suspicion and respect. Many of Milei’s far-right supporters, drawn to the president’s anti-establishment platform, viewed the veteran politician as an unwelcome remnant of Argentina’s traditional political elite. Yet, for lawmakers and rivals wary of Milei’s more radical impulses, Francos was a confidant and a stabilizing presence, someone who could be counted on to negotiate and seek common ground. His departure, then, is more than just a personnel change—it’s a signal that Milei feels emboldened to pursue his agenda with fewer internal checks and greater urgency.
Even with the boost from the midterm elections, Milei’s party still faces significant legislative hurdles. The La Libertad Avanza bloc has increased its numbers in Congress, giving it the power to block opposition spending measures that might undermine the administration’s fiscal discipline. However, it still lacks an outright majority, meaning that Milei must continue to build alliances with centrist parties and win over influential provincial governors if he hopes to see his free-market overhaul through to completion.
At the top of Milei’s agenda are two perennial challenges: liberalizing Argentina’s rigid labor market and simplifying its notoriously complex tax system. These are not new goals—previous right-wing governments have tried and failed to implement similar reforms—but Milei, buoyed by his party’s electoral triumph and the promise of substantial foreign investment, believes he has a unique opportunity to succeed where others have stumbled.
To demonstrate his willingness to engage with the wider political spectrum, Milei invited 20 of Argentina’s 24 provincial governors to the presidential headquarters on Thursday, October 30. Notably, four governors were left off the guest list—all of them representing Peronism, the populist opposition movement widely blamed by Milei and his supporters for the economic crisis he inherited in 2023. When asked about the snub in a television interview that evening, Milei was blunt: “It’s very hard to have a reasonable dialogue. We can’t sit down with people for whom two plus two doesn’t equal four.” The comment, reported by Associated Press, encapsulates both Milei’s combative style and his deep skepticism of the opposition’s economic philosophy.
Manuel Adorni’s elevation to chief of staff is likely to further sharpen the administration’s tone. Known for his sharp wit and willingness to take on critics during press conferences, Adorni is a loyal defender of Milei’s vision. As the government moves into what it calls its “second phase,” observers expect Adorni to play a key role in both shaping the administration’s message and managing the complex negotiations required to advance its legislative agenda.
But challenges abound. While the Trump administration’s $40 billion pledge has provided a significant financial backstop, the path to economic recovery remains fraught. Argentina’s labor market reforms and tax simplification plans are sure to encounter resistance—not only from the left-leaning opposition, but from segments of the public wary of further austerity and from provincial leaders protective of their own fiscal prerogatives.
Still, the mood within the Milei camp is unmistakably buoyant. The election results have given the president and his allies a renewed sense of purpose and the numbers they need to defend presidential vetoes in Congress. Whether this will be enough to overcome entrenched opposition and deliver on the promise of a revitalized Argentine economy remains to be seen.
For now, the departure of Guillermo Francos and the arrival of Manuel Adorni mark a clear turning point. Argentina stands at the threshold of a new political era—one defined by bold ambitions, high stakes, and the ever-present challenge of forging consensus in a country where political divides run deep.
