Surprise victory in primaries
Trump fan and climate change denier: Javier Milei could become Argentina’s new president
“I will put an end to the parasitic, corrupt and useless political caste in this country”: Javier Milei after his primary victory in his campaign headquarters in Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires.
© Natacha Pisarenko/AP/DPA
The right-wing populist Javier Milei won the presidential primaries in October, much to the dismay of Argentina’s political establishment. Should Milei actually become head of state, he wants to completely transform the country.
It is a resounding slap in the face for the established political forces in Argentina: Outsider Javier Milei got the most votes in the primaries to determine the candidates for the presidential elections on October 22nd. According to media reports, the right-wing populist and Trump fan won 30 percent of the vote on Sunday. The candidates of the conservative opposition coalition came only to 28 and the Peronist left government camp to 27 percent.
The legally required primary elections (PASO) are considered an important mood test in the search for a successor to outgoing President Alberto Fernández. Argentina is currently groaning under a severe financial and economic crisis. The inflation rate is 115 percent. The national currency, the peso, is in free fall and the mountain of debt in the South American country is growing inexorably.
Right-wing populist Milei wants “complete reform” in Argentina
Milei’s performance was eagerly awaited given the huge problems that have fueled voters’ skepticism about traditional politicians. The 52-year-old stands outside the traditional party spectrum of Peronists and conservatives in Argentina and presented himself as an anti-system candidate. And he is an unusual candidate in other respects as well.
Milei is an economist and has been a member of the Argentine lower house for the party he founded, La Libertad Avanza (Liberty Advances), since 2021. He describes himself as a “libertarian liberal” and “anarcho-capitalist”.
If he moves into the Casa Rosada, the official residence of the Argentine President in the heart of Buenos Aires, the 52-year-old has announced a “complete reform of the state”. He wants to cut public spending, close ministries and abolish Argentina’s central bank. The Argentine peso is to be replaced by the dollar, and the education and health systems are to be privatized, as are state-owned companies.
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During the election campaign, Milei railed against the “political caste”. After his primary victory on Sunday, he announced at a celebration at his campaign headquarters that he would “put an end to the parasitic, corrupt and useless political caste in this country”.
The Argentine admires former US President Donald Trump and is ideologically close to him and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He thinks climate change is a lie. Milei wants to make handgun ownership easier and believes that selling human organs should be legal. Sex education is just a ploy for a former rock band singer to destroy his family. About his own sex life, he said on TV, “I’m a tantric sex teacher,” and that he’s had frequent threesomes before.
Milei lives with five English Mastiffs
Because of his thick, tousled hair, Milei is nicknamed “peluca” (wig). The right-wing populist lives with five English Mastiff dogs, who can weigh up to 100 kilos, and calls them his family. Four of them are named after economists he admires: Milton (Friedman), Murray (Rothbard), Robert and Lucas (after US Nobel laureate Robert Lucas). Since he isn’t married, Milei said his sister Karina could become first lady should he take over the presidency.
Analysts had warned of an unexpectedly good performance Mileis before the primary. This could unsettle the financial markets and lead to a sharp drop in the price of the Argentine peso, since it is unclear what economic policy he would implement if he were elected president. The 52-year-old naturally sees things differently: “Today we took the first step towards rebuilding Argentina,” he commented on his pre-election victory. “Another Argentina is not possible with the same people as always.”
Sources: Associated Press, CNN Espanol,“Buenos Aires Times”, Reuters,