In a whirlwind week for Argentine politics, President Javier Milei has pulled off a stunning victory in the national midterm elections and swiftly moved to reshape his government, signaling a decisive turn toward consolidating power among his closest allies. The developments, which have sent shockwaves across Argentina’s political landscape, reflect both Milei’s unexpected electoral resilience and his determination to build a “pure” libertarian Cabinet, leaving former coalition partners on the sidelines.
Milei’s triumph, especially in Buenos Aires Province—the so-called “mother of all battles”—caught even seasoned analysts off guard. As reported by Buenos Aires Times, Milei himself admitted surprise at the scale of his win, which defied expectations given the slew of financial crises and corruption scandals that had dogged his administration in the months leading up to the vote. Just two months prior, Governor Axel Kicillof had trounced Milei’s candidates in local provincial contests, and many observers predicted the libertarians would struggle to close the gap in the midterms. Instead, Milei’s La Libertad Avanza coalition not only closed it, but surged ahead, handing him a renewed popular mandate to pursue his campaign promise to “make Argentina great again.”
The road to victory was anything but smooth. The campaign was thrown into turmoil when Diego Santilli was forced to step in for José Luis Espert, who resigned after revelations of financial ties to a suspected drug trafficker. The Milei camp also endured a string of mini-financial crises, and their economic credentials—once their strongest suit—came under intense scrutiny. Complicating matters further, two key ministers, Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein and Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona, resigned before the election, prompting Milei to announce a major Cabinet reshuffle in advance. According to Noticias Argentinas, this period of chaos left many wondering whether the government could hold together at all.
Yet, as the dust settled, analysts began to piece together the factors behind Milei’s victory. Some pointed to the fear of a Kirchnerist resurgence—the specter of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her allies returning to power—as a galvanizing force for anti-Peronist voters. This sentiment was echoed by International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva, who urged Argentines to “stay the course” and support Milei, and by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who, following President Donald Trump’s lead, warned that U.S. financial backing could be at risk if Milei lost.
From the perspective of Fernández de Kirchner and her supporters, the outcome was partly a result of strategic missteps, notably Governor Kicillof’s decision to separate local and national elections. Local mayors, whose ground game had proved decisive in September’s provincial contests, were less able to mobilize support for Peronist candidates in the midterms. Kicillof, for his part, argued that decoupling the elections actually prevented a double defeat for Peronism, but the debate remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, Milei’s inner circle—the so-called “iron triangle” of the president, his sister Karina Milei, and political strategist Santiago Caputo—was itself embroiled in internal disputes. Caputo, who had been excluded from key decision-making, sought to assert his influence by organizing a high-profile campaign concert at Movistar Arena, where Milei took the stage in a spectacle that was mocked internationally but welcomed by core supporters. Caputo’s digital campaign and his connections to U.S. conservatives were widely credited with helping secure the crucial emergency bailout from Trump’s administration, though not without controversy.
The midterms also exposed the limitations of centrist coalitions in Argentina. The Provincias Unidas alliance, which many expected to leverage local political structures for legislative gains, fell short across several provinces. Former governor and presidential candidate Juan Schiaretti lost in Córdoba to a relatively unknown libertarian, while similar upsets occurred in Santa Fe, Chubut, Jujuy, and Santa Cruz. Only Corrientes’ Gustavo Valdés managed a narrow victory for the centrists. As Buenos Aires Times noted, these results leave Milei with the challenge of building alliances in Congress if he hopes to advance his ambitious reform agenda.
With the election behind him, Milei wasted no time in moving to “purify” his Cabinet. On October 31, Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos resigned and was replaced by Manuel Adorni, the president’s loyal spokesperson. Santiago Caputo is expected to formally join the Cabinet as Interior Minister, a powerful post that will now include oversight of transport and public works, pending amendments to the Law of Ministries. The restructuring also sees Alejandra Monteoliva, Patricia Bullrich’s second-in-command and a senator-elect, taking over as Security Minister, while Justice Secretary Sebastián Amerio is set to replace the outgoing Justice Minister. Javier Lanari, Adorni’s deputy, will assume the role of presidential spokesperson.
This reconfiguration effectively ends the “coalition cabinet” model that brought together figures from Mauricio Macri’s PRO party and other non-libertarian allies. Outgoing Defence Minister Luis Petri will move to a new legislative post, and Patricia Bullrich, having won a Senate seat for Buenos Aires City, will chair the La Libertad Avanza caucus in the upper house. Seven lawmakers from PRO announced they would join Milei’s caucus in the new Congress, which convenes December 10, further consolidating his control.
As reported by Noticias Argentinas, the main political takeaway is clear: Milei is centralizing power around his most trusted confidants, particularly his sister Karina and Santiago Caputo. The move leaves Macri and his PRO party with diminished influence in the executive, even as some of their members defect to Milei’s camp in Congress. Francos, the outgoing Cabinet chief, is expected to be appointed ambassador to Geneva, Switzerland—a diplomatic reward for his service.
With the Cabinet reshuffle, Milei is betting that a unified, ideologically aligned team will be better positioned to pursue the sweeping structural reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund and the U.S. government. These include overhauls of Argentina’s tax, pension, and labor systems—reforms that previous presidents have attempted and failed to achieve. To that end, Milei met with 18 of the country’s 23 provincial governors on October 30 to seek support for his budget bill, though he notably excluded four governors aligned with Kirchnerism, a move that some see as a red flag for future consensus-building.
Still, the challenges ahead are formidable. Milei’s government, while buoyed by electoral success and newfound unity, must now deliver on its promises in the face of a skeptical Congress, economic headwinds, and a society weary of political disappointment. Whether Milei can translate his electoral mandate and Cabinet overhaul into lasting reform remains to be seen, but for now, Argentina’s political stage has been dramatically reset.
The coming months will reveal whether Milei’s gamble on consolidation and purity pays off—or if, as so often in Argentine politics, new faces bring familiar frustrations.
