Argentina has embraced the far right without nuance. Javier Milei, 53 years old, won the second round of presidential elections this Sunday with 56% of the vote, compared to 44% for Sergio Massa, Peronist candidate and economy minister in a country with annual inflation of 142%. The difference between the two was almost three million votes, an unprecedented defeat for Peronism. It was a much sharper turnaround than expected, and Argentina is plunging into the unknown, following in the footsteps of Donald Trump in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil. “Today the reconstruction of Argentina begins, today the end of decadence begins. The impoverishing model of the omnipresent state is ending. “Today we recommit ourselves to the ideas of freedom, those of our founding fathers,” said Milei, now president-elect.
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Milei called for the government to take responsibility for the transition, warned that it would be very tough on those who “fiercely” opposed the changes it proposed, and announced that there would be “no gradualism or lukewarmness.” become. “If we don’t move quickly on the structural changes Argentina needs, we are heading for the worst crisis in history. But today we recommit ourselves to the ideas of freedom, to being a world power,” he promised.
Milei, who entered politics from television studios only two years ago when he became an MP, promises to turn everything that exists upside down. During the election campaign, shouting “Long live freedom, damn it!” and armed with a chainsaw, he called for the “extermination of the political caste,” which he blames for the ongoing economic crisis ravaging Argentina. The support he received from former Liberal President Mauricio Macri (2015-2019) was key to Milei’s victory. Macri was eliminated from the race following the defeat of his rival Patricia Bullrich in the first round of voting on October 22nd. It took Macri less than 24 hours to openly support the far-right candidate, giving him a democratic veneer that was ultimately enough to convince the undecided.
Javier Milei during his speech on the evening of the election victory. AGUSTIN MARCARIAN (Portal)
Milei’s workhorse was the reduction of the state to its minimum, with the closure of ministries such as education and health and the phasing out of welfare. Given the results, he even broke the reticence of those Argentines who, since the return to democracy in 1983, have defended the role of an economic and benefactor state, be it a Peronist, radical or even liberal state like Macri’s. . In Argentina, health and education at all levels are public and free. Milei has also said he will seek to repeal the legal abortion law passed in 2020 and repeal the rule preventing the armed forces from participating in internal security tasks. To end inflation that exceeds 140%, Milei promotes dollarization and the closure of the central bank responsible for issuing currencies.
Among the sweeping changes Milei proposes is a reinterpretation of state terrorism, arguing that the dictatorship only committed “excesses” and that the 30,000 missing figure cited by human rights organizations is “a pretext to continue stealing.” The denier flag is carried by its candidate for vice president, Victoria Villarruel, daughter of soldiers. Human rights activists greeted her on Sunday at the school where she voted with signs of rejection. The candidate didn’t take it well. “It is the first time that the daughter of a Malvinas veteran becomes vice president. I don’t know what can bother them if they have children of terrorists in government positions. Those who interfere with freedom of expression are the violent ones,” he said.
Milei’s votes came mainly from the middle and lower sectors, especially the youth. This democratic-born voter was fed up with the recurring economic crises and embraced the Ultra candidate’s ideas and his promise to tear everything down to start over. He also managed to win most of the 6.2 million votes that Patricia Bullrich, Macri’s former security minister, received in the first round. Support for the Ultras was the majority in 21 of the country’s 24 electoral districts, including Córdoba, Santa Fe and Mendoza, the most populous in the country after Buenos Aires province.
Supporters of Javier Milei celebrate in the streets of Buenos Aires. CRISTINA SILLE (Portal)
Milei will take power on December 10, when the term of Peronist Alberto Fernández ends. On this day you must have the names of your ministers, especially the Minister of Economy. Inflation exceeds 140% year-on-year, four out of ten Argentinians are poor and the central bank’s reserves are in the red. The need to find immediate solutions will force Milei to negotiate with those he labeled during the election campaign as the “shitty left,” “human scum,” and “disasters.” Since Milei only has 38 of the 350 representatives in Congress, he will need the help of Macri’s 94 representatives to win votes.
The market takes for granted a deep adjustment of the economy aimed at zero deficit and currency devaluation. The doubt lies in the strength that your government will have for such a task. However, the political earthquake has already happened. This Sunday begins the decline of Kirchnerism, the current of Peronism that has dominated Argentine politics since 2003. Cristina Kirchner did not participate in the campaign and let Massa, a Peronist who came from the most liberal sectors of the movement, do his thing. Massa tried to become president back in 2015 under the wing of the Frente Renovador, a dissident Peronist group he founded to combat Cristina Kirchner. With 21.3% of the vote, he came third behind Macri and the Peronist Daniel Scioli. In 2019 he returned to Kirchnerism and rose to become the candidate of the party he had betrayed just four years earlier. Defeated at the national level, Peronism will now seek refuge in the province of Buenos Aires, the largest, most populous and richest in the country. Governor Axel Kicillof won re-election in October’s parliamentary elections and will try to rebuild from there. He has four years of work ahead of him.