Santilli consolidates power as Milei's Chief of Staff amid re-election concerns

Diego Santilli has been appointed as Argentina's new Chief of Staff, a position that grants him more significant power than any predecessor since the role's creation in 1994. Unlike Nicolás Posse or Guillermo Francos, Santilli does not share the same long-standing closeness with President Javier Milei. He is not a direct creation of the president, unlike Manuel Adorni, and has his own extensive political history. Santilli navigates the internal dynamics between Karina Milei, the president's sister and General Secretary of the Presidency, and Santiago Caputo, the influential presidential advisor. The new Chief of Staff's mandate explicitly includes the functions of Minister of the Interior and privileged interlocutor with governors and Congress, a broader scope than Francos held, who exercised these roles de facto. Francos had previously appointed a trusted collaborator, Lisandro Catalán, as Minister of the Interior but was limited by the internal power struggle between Karina Milei and Caputo. Santilli's distinct position is attributed to President Milei's heightened concern about his upcoming re-election bid. With approval ratings below 40 percent, Milei's re-election is not guaranteed for a first-round victory. Sources close to the presidency suggest Karina Milei is reconsidering her initial stance of exclusively fielding candidates from La Libertad Avanza for the crucial elections. Santilli is reportedly building bridges between her position and Caputo's. While appointed with the backing of the General Secretary of the Presidency, Santilli has maintained dialogue with Caputo. He is described as adept at navigating political challenges, crossing lines of fire without being harmed. Caputo had proposed an alliance with 14 governors, leaving provincial positions to them while reserving all national Senate and Chamber of Deputies candidacies for La Libertad Avanza. Karina Milei, perceived as less experienced in politics and elections, initially favored an all-mileísta approach, a strategy described as a "leap of faith without a net." She reportedly gained confidence in electoral matters after their significant mid-term election victories in October 2025.