Argentine President Milei Calls for First Cabinet Meeting

On Monday, the Argentine president, Javier Milei, called for a meeting at the Casa Rosada, summoning his cabinet ministers to initiate the work of the new government.

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The leader of the far-right party "Freedom Advances" fulfilled his promise to reduce the number of ministries by eliminating 9 out of 18 existing ministries.

His cabinet include Luis Caputo (Economy), Guillermo Ferraro (Infrastructure), Mariano Cuneo (Justice), Sandra Pettovello (Human Capital), Patricia Bullrich (Security), Luis Petri (Defense), Diana Mondino (Foreign Affairs), Guillermo Francos (Interior), and Mario Russo (Health).

Manuel Adorni, the presidential spokesperson, announced that the Economy Minister would unveil the first economic measures on Tuesday. The Chief of Staff, Nicolas Posse, a close associate of Milei, met him during their tenure in the private company Corporacion America.

Additionally, Milei appointed his sister, Karina Milei, nicknamed "The Boss", as the Presidential Secretary. To do this, he had to repeal a decree issued in 2018 by then-President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019), which prohibited nepotism.

In forming his cabinet, Milei has reached out to other political forces to find allies for his coalition, which has very few representatives in both the House and the Senate.

Former president Macri and the Radical Civic Union (UCR) have members in the new cabinet, which also includes the center-right coalition "Joint for Change," former presidential candidate Patricia Bullrich, and former vice-presidential candidate Luis Petri.

During his inaugural speech, Milei reiterated his prescription of "austerity" to address the country's macroeconomic problems, including nearly 150 percent year-on-year inflation, 40 percent poverty rate, diminished wages, and a shortage of foreign currency reserves.