Rarely has a presidential election in Latin America attracted so much attention in the rest of the world, but the emergence of Javier Milei and his libertarian project has focused the attention of politicians and commentators worldwide.
Until recently, the image of the now Argentine president-elect had been defined by his histrionic appearances on television and his rallies where he emulated a rock star, as well as by his statements on the Pope or the rethinking of Argentina’s trade relations. However, now that he has been elected president, he will have to dialogue and perhaps lower the groundbreaking profile that has characterized him.
Since the good results obtained by Milei’s project and his party, La Libertad Avanza, in last August’s primary elections, great expectations began to build around the new outsider who, with a libertarian discourse, offered a solution to the rampant inflation, corruption and the growth of crime in a country that still remembers that at the end of the 19th century, it was the first economic power in the world.
The last 20 years have passed for Argentines between the Kirchnerist discourse that came to power amid the so-called turn to the left, during which leaders such as Hugo Chávez, Rafael Correa, and Evo Morales were enthroned. With Alberto Fernández and former president and first lady Cristina Fernández, the last four years have meant a progressive deterioration of the socioeconomic situation for Argentines.
Below the poverty line
According to the latest INDEC report, 40 % of Argentines currently live below the poverty line, and 6.8 % of households are below the indigence line. Despite all this, the Minister of Economy of the current government, Sergio Massa, managed to make his way to the run-off ballot and obtained 44 % of the votes. For this, he had the support of the state apparatus and Argentine Peronism, which defines the political identity of broad sectors of society that still remember the labor and social policies promoted by Juan Domingo Perón. Despite the country’s Peronist tradition, voters have turned their backs on Massa’s project and have turned to the Latin American anti-official trend.
In the past, maps used to include the Latin phrase Hic sunt dracones – “you will find dragons”- to indicate lands yet to be explored, and Argentina seems to be going precisely there. Although the mainstream discourse in the international media has emphasized the risk of trusting Milei to redirect the country’s course, it is necessary to remember that the other option represented the continuity of the policies destabilizing Argentina in the last few years. The president-elect’s promises have been labeled radical, although the extent to which they are achievable remains to be seen.
Criticism of Pope Francis and China
Perhaps one of Milei’s most striking moments in the media was when he called Pope Francis “envoy of the evil one” in 2016. This has regained relevance after Alberto Benegas Lynch, mentor of Milei’s project, indicated in the closing act of the campaign for the first round of the elections that Argentina should break relations with the Vatican for considering that the Pope is authoritarian. However, this was later nuanced by the presidential candidate.
Likewise, Milei also indicated that as president of the nation, he would not promote relations with China because it is a communist country, despite being the country’s second most important commercial partner. After the ballot results were known, the Chinese government congratulated Milei and highlighted its willingness to “work with Argentina to continue the friendship.”
Macri’s important role
Javier Milei’s victory should be understood not only as a response to the crisis the country is going through but also as the triumph of former President Mauricio Macri’s bid, head of the coalition Juntos por el Cambio (JxC), for this second round.
After Patricia Bullrich came third in the first round of the elections, the liberal-conservative coalition gave its support to Milei’s project, so much so that in his speech after Sunday’s victory, the president-elect thanked Macri, Bullrich, and the JxC fiscals for their support. The short path of the political project of La Libertad Avanza has prevented it from having a deep and solid presence in the territories, which is best seen when considering that it only has seven senators out of 72 and 40 representatives out of a total of 247 in the Lower House. Hence, the support of Macri, Bullrich, and their coalition is vital for Argentina’s governability.
The alarmism surrounding the candidate has led many to label the president-elect as totalitarian or ultra-right, although these adjectives do not define the libertarianism that Milei champions. Although he made striking and alarming statements during the electoral campaign, his reliance on the center-right to govern Argentina invites us to think that his government will be more moderate than we might have thought.
