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Milei replaces scandal-hit Adorni with veteran politician Santilli as Argentina's cabinet chief

Manuel Adorni resigned June 27 under investigation for illicit enrichment, and Milei pivoted to Diego Santilli, a seasoned PRO operative from the Macri wing, signalling a shift from the libertarian's anti-politics brand toward congressional dealmaking.

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Summary

Manuel Adorni, Javier Milei's cabinet chief and media face, resigned on June 27, 2026 under federal investigation for illicit enrichment. Adorni had admitted earlier in June to hiding roughly US$500,000 from his asset declarations, contradicting sworn congressional testimony, then claimed he was saving "in black like everyone else." The resignation ended a prolonged crisis that had embarrassed a government built on the anti-casta promise. Milei named Interior Minister Diego Santilli as replacement within hours. Santilli, a career PRO politician and former ally of ex-president Mauricio Macri, is the fourth cabinet chief under Milei in 18 months. He is scheduled to be sworn in on June 30. Milei said he chose Santilli explicitly for his ability to manage provincial governors and a Congress where the administration's legislative agenda has stalled.

Why it matters

The switch from the ideologically pure, camera-friendly Adorni to a deal-making centrist from the PRO establishment marks the clearest acknowledgment yet that Argentina's reform programme needs congressional coalitions Milei's own party cannot provide alone. It also reopens the question of how durable the Milei-Macri alliance is and whether Santilli is a bridge or a counterweight to the libertarian agenda.

What to watch

  • Whether Santilli delivers a budget majority before the October mid-term elections.
  • How the illicit enrichment case against Adorni proceeds in federal court.
  • Whether Milei's approval ratings recover after the scandal, or whether the Adorni episode sticks as the defining image of the administration's ethics.