Unprecedented fact, on November 19, the evening of the victory of the ultraliberal Javier Milei, 53, it was his sister Karina Milei, 50, who first appeared at the lectern, facing his supporters. The audience gave her a standing ovation. “Olé, olé, olé, jefe, jefe!” “, “ the leader”, the masculine nickname given to him publicly by his brother.
She displays her usual wide smile, the same light eyes as her brother. His speech is brief, just long enough to introduce “the president-elect”, who will take office on December 10 and owes her a lot: she does not flourish so much in the light as behind the scenes.
Organization of events, selection of the entourage, political strategy, management of the agenda, legal and even financial files… Karina Milei has kept control of everything since Javier Milei’s entry into politics, during his election as deputy, in 2021. “She is the one who has the most influence on Javier Milei. However, she has no political experience, there is [un peu plus de] two years she was still selling cakes on Instagram”, notes Juan Luis González, journalist and author of the unauthorized biography of Javier Milei, The locomotive (“the madman”, Planeta editions, not translated).
“Observer, skillful and intelligent”
This seemingly placid woman, single without children, has led a zigzag career. A graduate in public relations, she also studied pastry, and practiced painting and sculpture. According to the daily The Nation, she also ran a tire repair shop. “Sister has no experience of power! “, vituperated, shortly before the presidential election, Carlos Maslatón, former informal advisor to Javier Milei, before being dismissed by… Karina Milei.
He accuses him of having lacked political intuition when putting together, this year, the lists for the elections of governors in the provinces (the highest position in the regional executive), mixing complete strangers and old guns of politics. A fiasco. The coalition was unable to achieve any victory, which is a definite handicap for Javier Milei in a federal Argentina. President, he will not be able to rely on governors from his coalition nor, moreover, on a majority in Congress.
Nevertheless, Karina Milei retains an unshakeable influence within her brother’s party La Libertad Avanza. “She is present at all the meetings. She is very observant, skillful and intelligent,” remarks a senior member of the political movement, on condition of anonymity. Javier Milei has boundless admiration for him. “She is the most wonderful human being on earth. She has a monstrous capacity for work,” praised the economist in an interview with the TN channel in August. The bond that unites them would even be spiritual, he assures in another interview, in September 2021. He cries: “Moses was a great leader, but he was not a good messenger, so God sent Aaron to him. Kari is Moses and I am the messenger. »
You have 45% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.