Plebiscite in Milei: Argentina votes in a legislative election marked by polarization
The ultra-liberal is playing for the governability of the second half of his term, supported by Donald Trump, with a stagnant economy and tainted by corruption.
Buenos AiresJavier Milei faces key legislative elections this Sunday in Argentina. The elections will redefine the composition of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, where half and one-third of the seats, respectively, are up for renewal. While midterm elections don't usually garner much attention in Argentina, this time they are being read as a plebiscite in the first two years of the chainsaw, and will prove decisive for Milei's governability heading into the second half of his term. As a minority in the legislature, the ruling La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party has seen numerous legislative initiatives blocked, given that the Peronist majority in both chambers—with occasional support from other political forces—has managed to gradually put the brakes on Milei's austerity plan. which has also been brutal for the most vulnerable sectors of societyMilei, who was sworn in with his back to the Congress building in December 2023, has frequently resorted to the presidential veto, a measure that has called into question the democratic nature of his administration, especially in the eyes of critical sectors who, beyond his style and manner, perceive him as an authoritarian leader. The accusations have inevitably influenced his image and projection, not only among the Argentine electorate but also among his international partners.
The one who protects Javier Milei without fail today is the President of the United States. Donald Trump has authorized a swap or a currency exchange—like a loan, but with better terms—for $40 billion, after Milei visited him at the White House a few days before the elections. On the Argentine's thirteenth visit to Washington, the two presidents held a dialogue in which, praise aside, Trump made one thing clear: economic support for Argentina was conditional on Milei's victory at the polls. "I'm with this man because his philosophy is the right one," Trump said. "If he wins, we'll keep him, and if he doesn't win, we'll leave." A ruling that Milei's supporters celebrate as a genuine willingness to help on the part of the most powerful country in the world, and that detractors interpret as an interventionist threat.
Milei has managed to contain inflation—which is projected to reach 30% year-on-year by 2025, while at the end of the previous administration it exceeded 200%—but the reality for the majority of Argentines has not substantially improved in the first two years of the chainsaw. On the contrary, the public sector has suffered unprecedented cuts that have left healthcare, education, and the system at its limit, with ridiculous salaries for professionals and retirement pensions below the poverty line. Public works have come to a standstill, and the end of price controls and subsidies for basic services such as electricity, water, gas, and public transportation has had an impact on the pockets of Argentines, who have had to cut back on consumption: 86% of the population says they cannot make ends meet. Industry has also suffered a downturn, with waves of layoffs, and in two years, around 15,000 small and medium-sized businesses have closed in Argentina. However, the president assures that the worst is over and encourages everyone to "make every effort worthwhile" because, he says, "we are on the right path."
Fed up with Peronism and Kirchnerism
Messianism and the "cultural battle" have had an effect, especially among the youth, a sector that propelled Milei to power and that maintains its support today. Especially the kids, they continue to find him "fresh," "crazy," and aligned with their values: "I, at suburbs [metropolitan area] I see more poverty than before," Javier, 21, admits to ARA. "But it's a problem of people who don't want to work, because they prefer to live off state aid," he says, reproducing a speech repeated ad nauseam on dozens of libertarian streaming channels, he assures. "that has impoverished us as a country and has kept us from being a world power." Although corruption has been a reason to discredit Peronist governments, the cases that have tainted Milei's government – such as the $Libra crypto scam, the embezzlement of funds for disabled people in his mother Karina Aires, José Luis Espert, with drug trafficking – have not been sufficient reason to discredit him: "All politicians are corrupt," says Eze, a friend of Javier.
On the other hand, José, 64, a "Peronist militant from the cradle to the grave," is crystal clear that what he defends "is the only political model in Argentina that has proven to prioritize the most vulnerable," and Valeria, 52, says she "would vote for anything over a psychiatric lunatic." In the vein of Argentine political culture, there is no middle ground: the divide is widening and polarization is deepening. While Peronism has opted for a discreet campaign, without concrete proposals and with a crystal-clear slogan, "Stop Milei," the libertarians have launched into a dichotomy: "Freedom Advances or Argentina Regresses."
