After his victory on Sunday in the presidential election, Javier Milei has many challenges to overcome. It is a period of uncertainty that is beginning for the third largest economy in Latin America, to which he has promised shock therapy.
Argentina chose to radically change direction on Sunday. The ultraliberal economist Javier Milei will be the next president of the country, after having largely won the second round of the presidential election, with 55.95% of the votes against 44.04% for his rival, the Minister of the Economy Sergio Massa.
The 53-year-old president-elect, who will take office on December 10, promised in his victory speech “the end of decadence” and the “reconstruction of Argentina.”__”It’s a historic night for Argentina”he told several thousand cheering supporters outside the campaign headquarters in Buenos Aires.
“We are faced with monumental problems: inflation (143% over one year, editor’s note), stagnation, the absence of real jobs, insecurity, poverty and misery”listed the president-elect.“There is no room for lukewarmness or half-measures”warned the one who for two years has advocated, in particular, cuts “with a chainsaw” in public spending, for an economy that is pathologically over-indebted, with 40% of the population below the poverty line.
He reiterated his determination “to put the budgetary accounts in order, and resolve the problems of the Central Bank”an institution that he said he wanted “dynamite”.
The scale of the victory was surprising. Pollsters had given Milei a slight advantage, but many analysts predicted a result “up to the vote”in a tense and indecisive election like rarely in 40 years since the return of democracy, with two highly antagonistic projects.
On the one hand, Massa, Minister of the Economy for 16 months, who promised a “government of national unity”, and a gradual economic recovery, preserving the welfare state, crucial in Argentine culture. Facing him, the outsider Milei, “anarcho-capitalist” as he describes himself, a TV polemicist who entered politics two years ago, determined to “cut off” the enemy state” and dollarize the economy.
If he reached out his hand to “all Argentinians and political leaders” wanting to join him, the president-elect also warned of possible social resistance to his reforms.
Quick results?
“Milei campaigned promising rapid results. We all see that this is not possible, but this is the idea that has penetrated his electorate: rapid change, the chainsaw. So I believe that he does not There won’t be much time for a honeymoon.”predicted Lara Goyburu, a political scientist from the University of Buenos Aires.
For the political scientist Gabriel Vommaro, from the University of San Martin, Javier Milei, through his bellicose speech, especially towards mobilized sectors, like the public service brings a risk “political-social confrontation”.
Abroad, leaders for whom Milei had expressed an affinity warmly congratulated him: Former US President Donald Trump has expressed his belief that he will “make Argentina a great country again”. And former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said “hope shines again” in the region.
Washington has “felicity” Javier Milei for his victory, Secretary of State Antony Blinken saluting “the high participation and peaceful conduct of the vote”.
As for Brazilian President Lula, whom Milei had described as “corrupt communist”he wished “good luck and success” to the new Argentine government, in a message on the social network X in which he did not mention Javier Milei.
Reactions from the street
“Freedom! Freedom!” exulted several thousand supporters, including many young people, in front of Javier Milei’s campaign headquarters, in the center of Buenos Aires, as they saw the newly elected Argentine president appear on a giant screen.
“I’m so excited I can’t believe it. I feel so much joy. It’s amazing what’s happening here!” exclaims Julia Gauto, 51, on her husband’s arm.
An Argentinian flag in one hand, a yellow scarf bearing the image of the ultraliberal economist around her neck, she shouts: “the caste is afraid”taking up one of the key slogans of Milei’s campaign against the Peronist or liberal governments for 20 years in power.
“I am happy, I have hope. A change was necessary”says Nicolas Paez, a 34-year-old architect from La Matanza, one of the municipalities in the large suburbs of the capital.
“I really didn’t think he was going to win, but the youth made the difference”, he adds. On his shoulders is an Argentine flag, like many in the crowd gathered in front of the hotel on Cordoba Avenue, where Milei has set up his campaign HQ.
Among the supporters, activists take selfies with a man wearing a mask representing Milei, a black suit and a tie printed with dollars. Others throw into the air torn ballots from the defeated candidate, the centrist Minister of the Economy Sergio Massa.
A man pushes through the crowd carrying at arm’s length a cardboard coffin symbolizing the death of Peronism, while another dressed as a lion, evoking the president-elect with dense hair, warms the crowd mounted on the roof of a car .
At his side, another shakes cardboard chainsaw blades, evoking the cuts in public spending promised by the president-elect, who entered politics just two years ago.
“This is the change that we wanted, we young people in this country that we love so much”says Juan Ignacio Gomez, a 17-year-old high school student who came alone to celebrate the victory.
“Not afraid of Milei”
“I’m not afraid of Milei, what I’m afraid of is that my father won’t be able to pay his rent. I firmly believe in the dollarization of the economy. The Argentine peso is no longer worth anything”he asserts regarding the desire of the new elected president to replace the national currency with the greenback.
“Peronism in this country is a cancer. We have had enough of it. It is synonymous with poverty. With Peronism, they cut off your leg and give you a crutch as a gift”asserts Nacho Larrañaga, a 50-year-old writer, before continuing in chorus “Freedom! Freedom.”__”Milei is a stranger, but better a madman than a thief”he adds with a smile.
At the same time, in the Chacarita district, in front of Sergio Massa’s campaign headquarters, faces are defeated. Resentment, however, quickly gives way to promises of resistance.
“Hate has won. (Milei) is not going to govern for long (…) people will realize… I give him six months”cries Gabriela Bermudez, 30 years old.
“Argentina is like that: when you least expect it, it throws itself into the arms of a tyrant. And then it cries”says Diego Avellaneda, a 55-year-old metalworker.
“Shock, too much pain. But we must stand up and resist the onslaught. Milei will find us in the streets to defend all the rights he seeks to trample. Half of Argentina does not support him”says Miguel Catalina, a 42-year-old teacher.