By yourNEWS Media Staff
Argentine President Javier Milei has implemented a significant reshuffle in the federal executive branch. Using his first executive action as president, Milei dramatically reduced the number of cabinet-level ministries from eighteen to nine. This move is seen as a fulfillment of his campaign promise to streamline government operations.
Many of the eliminated ministries have been integrated into new offices, suggesting a continuation of their functions but with significantly smaller teams and fewer resources. Milei’s decision to elevate three ministries – the General Ministry, the Office of Media and Communications, and the Legal and Technical Office – to cabinet level further highlights his commitment to restructuring government operations.
A striking aspect of this reorganization is Milei’s appointment of his sister, Karina Milei, to head the General Ministry. This move required a separate executive order to circumvent restrictions on appointing family members to top positions.
The nine retained ministries are now the Ministry of the Interior, Foreign Relations, Defense, Economics, Infrastructure, Justice, Security, Health, and the newly established Ministry of Human Capital. The absorbed ministries are expected to result in job cuts for many bureaucrats and leaders of the former ministries.
Milei, a staunch libertarian and critic of socialism, has long advocated for reducing government size and expenditure. His drastic actions on his first day in office reflect his commitment to these principles and his promise to tackle the country’s severe economic crisis, characterized by soaring inflation and high rates of unemployment and poverty.
Despite potential job losses for government workers in a challenging job market, Milei’s spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, reassured that productive state employees would retain their positions. The focus, Adorni explained, would be on combating ‘militant employment,’ which contributes nothing and diminishes the productivity of committed employees.
Milei’s inauguration speech emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in Argentine politics, advocating for a model that fosters liberty and economic growth over government intervention and control. His radical first-day reforms signal a new direction for Argentina, aiming to bring long-term improvement despite expected initial challenges.
