During a campaign in Argentina, liberal economist Javier Millay repeatedly called his sister Karina “boss.” Four months into her presidency, she’s putting that nickname to good use.
Karina Milei, who serves as the secretary general of the presidential palace, is not only the gatekeeper of her brother’s policies, but also the most trusted of his small group of senior advisers. She is also his political general, holding the reins of the party and selecting staff to senior government and legislative positions.
Karina Millay, a former baker and tarot card reader, entered politics for the first time in 2021 when her brother, then a TV commentator and private sector economist, ran for election to the House of Representatives. Stepped into the world of politics. She made his election campaign a success.
In one of the few times she spoke publicly, in an interview for a documentary about her brother released last year, she insisted on the Libertarian’s inexperience and tight-knit team.
“I know a lot of experts in different fields, but you know what’s more important? Our group is doing this for our ideals above all,” she said. Told. “If the people around you are good, everything will be fine.”
But her rise to power has raised eyebrows among politicians and business leaders. Earlier this month, her last-minute harassment of an appointment to a parliamentary committee caused a split in the House of Commons bloc of her brother’s La Libertad Avanza (LLA) movement.
In March, Vice President Victoria Villaruel told a television station that Carina Millay’s “strong personality” could make the president “the poor piggy in the middle” in disputes between the two women. he said.
“Karina is as important as Mirei in the running of Argentina,” said one prominent business leader in Buenos Aires. “I don’t know if that’s the problem yet, but it’s definitely weird.”
Karina Millay, 52, was her unmarried brother’s closest friend since childhood in a middle-class family in Buenos Aires. Javier Millay, 53, called his parents “very toxic” and had been estranged for more than a decade.
“I won the lottery with Cali. There’s no better person in the world,” he said in an August interview.
Those who knew Carina Millay described her as “very quiet” and “not trying to charm anyone”. But she doesn’t seem embarrassed. She appeared on the popular game show in 2016 with her dog Aaron.
She told the presenter: “Not really.” [done well]”, but eventually graduated in 2001 with a degree in public relations from UADE, a private university in Buenos Aires. She then worked for a variety of companies, from a tire import/export company and a pesticide manufacturer to her own Instagram-based cake business. .
She was instrumental in her brother’s entry into media and politics in the 2010s, shaping both his long-term strategy and day-to-day operations.
For example, when Javier Millay staged an economic-themed theater show in 2018, she not only performed on stage but also “managed all of his speaking engagements, household finances, and box office revenues,” according to the bill. said LLA councilor Lilia Lemoine, who worked on the project. she told the Financial Times in December.
“He would not have become president without her,” Lemoine added.
Carina Millay has now agreed to give interviews and public appearances with her brother, and even travels with him. She reports to Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni, and House of Representatives Speaker Martin Menem is a close ally of hers.
She is one of the president’s three closest aides, and a person who has known the brothers for years said they are “people who have seen the president in his pajamas.” She is joined by political consultant Santiago Caputo and cabinet secretary Nicolas Posse.
“Karina doesn’t have very good relationships with people, and she doesn’t really get involved in relationships with people.” [the Argentine establishment]” the person added. “But if there is a disagreement between Carina and Posse, Carina wins.”
Carina Millay’s high profile has made some foreign investors wonder whether they should form a relationship with her. But local business leaders said that doesn’t seem possible. Few people had seen her since her brother became president. “She’s more interested in politics than economics,” said one executive.
While the president focuses on addressing Argentina’s severe economic crisis and communicating with voters about X, Karina Mirei is leading efforts to build LLA’s national party structure.
The movement was only founded in 2021, relied on ad hoc alliances with smaller state parties during the 2023 elections, and did not field candidates for Congress or gubernatorial positions in many states. . As a result, the LLA won less than 15 percent of the seats.
The president said winning more seats in the 2025 midterm elections is essential to Argentina’s economic reform plan.
LLA officials said Karina Millay’s “extreme defense” of her brother’s project had caused friction within the party. “She doesn’t want to leave anything to her fate, so she ends up becoming a bit of a dictator. When she tries to control everything, she ends up imposing things or making enemies. .”
Two people familiar with the decision said that after the president approved the appointment of first-term LLA lawmaker Marcela Pagano as chair of a powerful parliamentary committee that handles constitutional issues including impeachment, Karina Pagano was appointed in April. Mr. Millais ordered her dismissal.
The incident led to LLA House of Representatives bloc leader Oscar Zargo and two others leaving the group, reducing the number of seats to 38 out of 257. Ignacio Labaki, a senior analyst at Medley Advisors, said the trio has pledged to support the president’s reform plan, which goes to a vote in Congress this week, but “obviously it’s not good to have so much division within a small bloc.” said.
Analysts said that last month, Carina Millay also ordered the removal of one of LLA’s founders, Ramiro Mara, as block head at the Buenos Aires City Council. However, Mara returned to the role last week.
Karina Millay did not respond to requests for comment from the FT on the firings of Mara and Pagano.
“She’s extending her influence a little too much,” said political consultant Sergio Berensztejn. He added that Karina Millais’ interference in parliament had infuriated some MPs who saw it as undermining the branch’s independence.
Berensztejn said “we need to learn quickly” to succeed in the complex task of building lasting alliances in Argentina’s provinces. She “has to talk to people and convince people. It takes a lot of time. And I think she’s making a rookie mistake.”
It may have been a learning curve that she expected, too.
“The truth is, politics is garbage,” she said in a documentary last year. “When we approached this problem, we said it wouldn’t be easy.”
