Argentina elected its new president on Sunday, November 19, Javier Milei, a far-right candidate.
Javier Milei, ultraliberal and “anti-system” economist won the second round of the Argentine presidential election on Sunday, November 19 with 55.7% of the votes. He succeeds Alberto Fernandez, Peronist president (center left). The gap with his centrist rival Sergio Massa (current Minister of the Economy) who collected 44.3% of the votes was surprising, especially after last place in the first round of the election, where he came in first.
The Argentine people elected this Sunday a candidate with very strong opinions and a radical program. In his victory speech from his campaign headquarters in Buenos Aires, Javier Milei announced “the end of decadence.”
Among the strong measures of the winner’s radical program, we find in particular the replacement of the national currency (the peso) by the dollar. Still on economic matters, Mr. Milei also plans to lower taxes while drastically reducing public spending, and to close the Central Bank. Measures which apparently appealed to Argentines in a context of significant inflation (143% over one year) where relatively low average salaries and very high rents complicate daily life.
Confident contempt for scientists
Another measure, recurring among the far right, is the ban on legal abortion. The new president is also considering the elimination of certain ministries such as tourism, women’s rights, health and education. The liberalization of arms sales is also one of the flagship measures of the program. Measures on the social level which concern the progressives, very worried after the victory of Javier Milei.
A major subject present at the forefront of the world political scene has, however, been put aside in the candidate’s campaign: the environment. Mr Milei is known for his climate skeptic positions, which he does not refute and even defends the idea that climate change is not a consequence of human activity.
At the diplomatic level, the new president does not hide his rejection of countries he considers “communist” and suggested during his campaign that he did not intend to maintain ties with certain countries such as China, Russia or even Brazil .
His extremist positions have earned Javier Milei the reputation of Donald Trump or Jair Bolsonaro of Argentina. He was also congratulated by the latter two following his victory.