Javier Milei surprised everyone. Against the predictions, in fact, which showed him to be declining in consensus, the president of Argentina triumphed in the mid-term legislative elections which took place on 26 October. With a turnout of 67.9%, his party La libertad que advancing (Lla) obtained between 41 and 42% of the votes, ahead of Fuerza Patria, which stopped below 24.3% and 31 seats, and other groups that achieved modest results. Lla won in large provinces such as Cordoba, Mendoza, Entre Rios and Santa Fe. Milei’s party therefore has expanded its representation in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. After the results, the American counterpart Donald Trump, his great supporter, immediately congratulated the Argentine president, who through his social profile on Truth, during his tour of Asian countries, spoke of a “smashing victory”.
Such a clear statement from Milei, in fact, is truly unexpected: since he took office in 2023, the extravagant and decidedly divisive former television commentator turned head of state, fformer defender and supporter of ultra-liberal policies, he created widespread discontent in many layers of society with a plan of drastic austerity measures that reduced inflation to unsustainable levelseven touching 300%, but they did not favor economic growth, which remained weak, led to a strong devaluation of the local currency and pushed, at least initially, millions of people into a condition of even greater poverty.
Among the measures undertaken by his Government, The cuts to public spending, education, healthcare and pensions were highly contested. Milei has frozen increases in salaries and pensions, imposed cuts on public employees, frozen a large part of public infrastructure projects and reduced subsidies for the poorest groups. With his plan, inflation has fallen, but is still far from normal levels, and this year unemployment has started to rise again.
«Today the people have decided to leave behind 100 years of decadence; today begins the construction of a great Argentina”, declared the president triumphantly immediately after the electoral victory. The Argentines wanted to give him more confidence. But the road to building, as Milei says, a new country is decidedly uphill.
(Photo Ansa: Argentine president Javier Milei, 53, rejoices after his electoral victory)
