“No one with such extreme views has ever been elected president in South America,” says American economist Mark Weisbrot about Argentine election winner Javier Milei. Externally a unique figure with references to Elvis Presley in his later phase, internally a self-proclaimed ‘anarcho-capitalist’ with a radical plan: the 53-year-old will probably bring wild times to his country.
With 55.7 percent, the libertarian candidate of the La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Progress) party was well ahead of Economy Minister Sergio Massa of the left-wing Union por la Patria (Union for the Fatherland) in the second round. “Today the reconstruction of Argentina begins. This is a historic evening,” Milei said on Sunday evening after the results were announced. He celebrated his victory exuberantly, as can be seen from videos on social media:
Government candidate Massa admitted defeat. “Javier Milei is president. I congratulated him because the majority of Argentinians voted for him,” he said. “From tomorrow it is his responsibility to provide security and guarantees and we hope he will do that.” Given Milei’s flamboyant personality, there is reason to doubt this.
Clear cutting with a chainsaw
During the election campaign, he railed against established politics, announced that he would blow up the central bank and brandished a running chainsaw – a symbol of the socio-political sharpness he now wants to implement.
138 percent inflation
It is the anger and disappointment of many Argentinians that has pushed the outsider to the front row of politics. Inflation is at 138 percent and about 40 percent of people in the once-wealthy country live below the poverty line. Argentina suffers from a bloated state apparatus, low industrial productivity and a large shadow economy. The national currency, the peso, is steadily losing value and the mountain of debt is growing.
“Give me twenty years…”
The economist Milei promises simple solutions to complex problems. He wants to abolish most ministries, introduce the US dollar as the official currency, radically cut social programs and privatize state-owned companies. “Give me twenty years and we can be like Germany. Give me 35 years and we will be just like the US,” he promised in a TV debate.
Milei’s World: For guns, against abortion and a “communist” pope
The enfant terrible of Argentine politics also wants to liberalize gun ownership, is against the right to abortion, does not believe in man-made climate change and calls the Argentine Pope Francis a communist. Like former US President Donald Trump and former Brazilian head of state Jair Bolsonaro, he uses anti-system rhetoric, but unlike his role models, he refrains from right-wing radical attacks.
Turning point: left-wing Peronists become powerless
The triumph of the market-liberal Milei is a turning point for Argentina, where left-wing Peronists have been in charge for more than twenty years, the state intervenes massively in the economy, public services are heavily subsidized and in many provinces there are more public sector workers than in the private sector.
“Now we’ll see how crazy he really is.”
The deciding factor now will be the lone wolf’s ability to work as a team. He does not have a majority in parliament and he also lacks qualified personnel to fill key positions. “Like many political outsiders, Milei has little interest in the politics of give and take and pluralism in democracy,” writes Christopher Sabatini of the Chatham House research institute. And Susanne Käss from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in Argentina says: “Now it will become clear how crazy he really is.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
