Presidential spokesman Adorni to replace Francos as chief of staff

President Javier Milei’s spokesman Manuel Adorni will replace Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos, who resigned via public letter on Friday night. Interior Minister Lisandro Catalan likewise resigned on Friday. His replacement had not been announced at the time of writing. Adorni will assume his new role on Monday. The presidential communications team said in a statement that the change reflected “the election results, the need to renew political dialog, and this second stage, which starts on December 10, focused on the structural reforms the country needs.” Shortly after 10 p.m., Adorni thanked Milei for the new appointment in an X post, saying the government was entering “a new stage, during which expanding structural reforms will be a priority.” He also thanked President Milei’s sister and secretary-general, Karina Milei. Adorni has served as Milei’s spokesman since the beginning of his presidency. Sources with knowledge of the cabinet changes confirmed to the Herald that he would continue to work as Milei’s spokesman while in the new role. He holds press conferences at the Casa Rosada and has played a key role in communicating major government decisions and policies. Franco’s resignation In a letter to Milei posted on X at 9:11 p.m., Francos said: “In light of the persistent reports regarding changes in the national cabinet, I am writing to submit my resignation from the position of Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, so that you may face the new stage of government that begins after the national elections of October 26 without any constraints.” He noted that both his first and his last act as chief of staff had been to convene a meeting between Argentina’s provincial governors and central government in order to pursue consensus and dialog, with a view to carrying out reforms. “It’s been an honor to be part of a transformational project,” he wrote, thanking Milei. The presidential communications team thanked Francos for “two years of deep reforms” in a statement posted minutes later. Among his contributions, they listed his role in the passing of the Ley Bases reform package, the Anti-Mafia Law, and regulations on trials in absentia. “Guillermo Francos has been fundamental in this first stage of the government to advance in all reforms that have been carried out over these two years, and the nation will always be indebted to him,” the statement said. In 2019, Francos was assigned to represent Argentina at the Inter-American Development Bank by President Alberto Fernández when he took office, but left to join Milei’s team in August 2023. He previously worked on Daniel Scioli’s presidential campaign as part of the Frente para la Victoria coalition in 2015. He was initially appointed as Milei’s interior minister, but took on the chief of staff role as well in May 2024 following the departure of Nicolás Posse. Minister for under two months Lisandro Catalán wrote a brief post on X announcing his decision: “I am profoundly grateful for the trust you have placed in me to begin a new stage of dialog and consensus. I will continue to support this administration and La Libertad Avanza, because I am convinced that the ideas of freedom are the ideas that will transform Argentina.” He had been in the role for less than two months. His appointment was made official on September 10 in the aftermath of the government’s loss in the Buenos Aires province local elections. Prior to this post, he was deputy chief of staff during Francos’ tenure. Working under Francos, Catalán was largely in charge of negotiating with governors on behalf of the national administration. President Milei demoted the interior ministry to a secretariat that responded to the chief of staff when Guillermo Francos was named to the post in May of last year.  According to Herald sister publication Ámbito, the decision to reinstate the interior ministry was in response to demands made by provincial leaders, who were requesting that dialogue with the government improve. One of the areas of contention was the national budget for the coming year. The Milei administration has not had an approved budget since they took office. In December 2023, they renewed the budget the Alberto Fernández administration had filed before the end of his term. In late 2024, Milei made the same decision and renewed the 2023 national budget for an unprecedented second time.  The extension meant he would govern in 2025 using the same budget as in the final year of Alberto Fernández’s government. Repeating the budget gives the government leeway to assign additional funding at its discretion throughout the year.