Milei convenes cabinet after Church's harsh sermon: Central Bank reform accelerated

Hours after hearing strong criticism from the Church, President Javier Milei convened his full cabinet at Casa Rosada to outline the next steps of his administration. The meeting, which lasted less than an hour, focused on the presentation of the draft law to reform the Central Bank, which would be sent to Congress in the coming weeks.

The meeting took place shortly after the homily of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge García Cuerva, who during the Tedeum for the 210th anniversary of Independence Day harshly questioned the direction of the Executive Branch and warned about the advance of ‘cruelty’ towards the most vulnerable sectors. A speech that even Vice President Victoria Villarruel described as ‘very appropriate and very real’.

During the conclave, Milei provided details on the project to reform the Organic Charter of the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA), which ‘is being drafted by the Executive Branch,’ according to the Presidency. ‘Likewise, he reported that the Government is working on finalizing the text of the draft, whose official announcement is expected in the coming weeks. Once completed, it will be sent to the National Congress for consideration. In this context, the head of state will make an in-depth presentation of the scope and objectives of the initiative,’ they added in an official statement.

Present were ministers Diego Santilli (Interior), Mario Lugones (Health), Luis Caputo (Economy), Federico Sturzenegger (Deregulation and State Transformation), Pablo Quirno (Foreign Affairs), Juan Bautista Mahiques (Justice), Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Presti (Defense), and Alejandra Monteoliva (National Security). Also attending were presidential advisor Santiago Caputo; Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei; President of the Chamber of Deputies, Martín Menem; Provisional President of the Senate, Bartolomé Abdala; Legal and Technical Secretary of the Presidency, María Ibarzábal Murphy; President of the Central Bank, Santiago Bausili; presidential spokesperson, Adrián Ravier; and Secretary of Communication and Press, Fabián Fernández.

Minutes before the meeting began, Milei went out to the mythical balcony of Casa Rosada to greet a group of people gathered in front of the gates. He was seen accompanied by several of his top officials. Among the moments that drew the most applause was when he hugged Bullrich, his sister Karina, and Santiago Caputo.

Twenty-four hours earlier, also at Casa Rosada, the first meeting of the government’s political table had taken place following the departure of Manuel Adorni and with the presence of his replacement, Santilli. The leadership of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) raised the need to reactivate the executive and parliamentary management agenda, after the paralysis caused by the crisis with the former official. According to reports from Casa Rosada, it was agreed at that meeting that the political table ‘will meet weekly, with the aim of permanently monitoring the main government initiatives and the parliamentary agenda.’ In this context, Santilli presented ‘the progress of conversations with governors from different political forces to promote the reforms that the Government is pushing in Congress.’

The ruling party’s move is clear: while the Church applies pressure with an uncomfortable discourse, the President accelerates the engine of reforms. The reform of the BCRA, one of Milei’s flagship issues, promises to be the next big battle in Congress. Will the Government manage to overcome ecclesiastical criticism and advance its agenda? Time will tell, but for now, Casa Rosada moves to the beat of war drums.

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