Santilli to Power: Milei's Political Hit That Smells Like the Caste

From the strictest political realism, one must admit that the choice of Diego Santilli as Chief of Cabinet, that is, as successor to Manuel Adorni and head of the highest institutional office of the republic after the president, is one of the most significant political successes of Javier Milei’s government.

A government, incidentally, that bids farewell to the replaced official as a national hero and does not hesitate to praise the virtues of its libertarian warriors dedicated to the so-called cultural revolution. That is, the shift of a society toward the rancid values of the far right.

A far right whose most significant expressions include, among others, Nicolás Márquez, Agustín Laje, the opulent Gordo Dan, and, first and foremost, the president himself, who does not hesitate when the occasion arises to express his admiration for his far-right colleagues around the world.

These figures, in the style of Viktor Orbán, Santiago Abascal, Abelardo de la Espriella, or Jair Bolsonaro, have as one of their latest acquisitions and relevant stars Mrs. Keiko Fujimori, worthy daughter of her father.

Nobility obliges, let us admit that Milei and his sister Karina have shown an unusual plasticity to adapt to the imperatives of politics and the moods of public opinion, an ability that allows them to make decisions that surely contradict their deepest ingrained principles.

Manuel Adorni did not leave power by decision of the Milei siblings, but because the political situation had become unsustainable for the government. Politics often delights in weaving paradoxes.

An official condemned by public opinion like Adorni leaves power and is replaced by a politician like Santilli who, for better or worse, has gathered throughout a political career distinguished by an infallible instinct for adapting to new circumstances, all the virtues and defects that in not-so-distant times Milei himself labeled as «caste.»

Santilli is the quintessential professional politician, although it is worth noting that in that professionalization, not everyone has the same civic virtues. The observation is pertinent because, as a renowned political analyst once said, Santilli would have greater difficulties than those faced by Adorni in justifying the origin of his fortune.

Let no one be alarmed. The proverbial «Colorado» will not, at least for now, have to give explanations about the wealth earned. The times ahead will require of him what he seems to do best.

Wheeling and dealing, promising, smiling, telling each interlocutor what they want to hear, and, even if he doesn’t say it, doing in the field of public relations exactly the opposite of what his boss does and preaches. How will the government manage to coexist with that contradiction? I don’t know. Nor do I know if it is such an important contradiction.

Let us agree that this generous political game available in favor of the government is possible primarily because, whatever is said, the country has a controllable economic and social situation. Note that I do not say brilliant or good… controllable.

This means that the variables of governability are more or less assured, and in that context, if, for example, elections were called tomorrow, no one should be surprised if Milei is re-elected. Re-elected in the first or second round, it doesn’t matter.

Of course, since elections are about a year away, and we live in a country called Argentina, it is a vain exercise to attempt to formulate predictions that depend on countless political imponderables.

Among others, the very variables of the economy, which, although the government never tires of repeating are solidly in place, those of us with some years in this trade of closely following political events and knowing our contemporary history suspect that this is not the case, or at least not entirely so.

The other factor that plays in favor of the government, and on more than one occasion plays decisively, is Peronism. Every time Máximo opens his mouth or the truculence of Martín Insaurralde or the so-called «Caciques del Conurbano» or details of the looting perpetrated by the Kirchners come to light, Milei’s positions strengthen.

I swear I have nothing against Axel Kicillof, but I don’t need to be a subtle analyst to notice that for now he doesn’t have a chance for president. On the populist horizon, what stands out is solitude, barely contaminated by second- or third-tier leaders who lack a lot, too much, to be presidential options.

And on the UCR side, the outlook is also discouraging. Two problems confront the radicals. The first is that their historical voters believe or continue to believe in Milei, which places leaders who should, in principle, be opponents in an uncomfortable situation.

The second is that many of their leaders, and particularly more than half of their governors, for understandable budget reasons, are more or less tied to the president; although there are reasons to suspect that some of those governors and legislators are too comfortable alongside Milei. Nothing to be surprised about.

Getting close to the warmth of power has always been a strong temptation in the vicissitudes of politics, but it is worth noting that in addition to the comfort that position provides, it would be good to remember that the lessons of history verify that this closeness to the warmth of another’s power has consumed leaders like dry wood.

That is, it has devoured them or reduced them to ashes before the disenchanted eyes of those who at some point believed in them.

Since politics requires submitting to the imperatives of «the here and now,» let us admit that the government’s position in power is solid, and looking ahead, I don’t know if new successes await, but real possibilities of governability with re-election included.

The very fragmentation and visible impotence of the opposition show that, for better or worse, this historical time belongs to La Libertad Avanza (LLA). Let’s say they are cycles, periods, that can last more or less time, that can cause changes or transcendent calamities, and about which the only certainty we have is that they are not eternal.

In soccer jargon, today LLA’s team is the one with the best conditions to win and take the cup.

It is a team with its own players and acquired players who we don’t know if they let themselves be bought, if they sweat the colors of the new jersey, but what we are sure of is that they like to win, they like to be paid well, and if circumstances get complicated, they do not hesitate to change teams.

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