Which right will be right for Argentine voters?
Monday
20 November 2023
In Argentina, far-right candidate Javier Milei has won 56% of votes in the the second round of the general election, ahead of Sergio Massa, the candidate for the Unión por la Patria (UP) coalition. Milei, a libertarian economist with an eccentric personality who is nicknamed ‘El Loco’, will become president on 10 December, after voters put him much further ahead of his opponent than predicted by opinion polls.
After being knocked out in the first round, Patricia Bullrich, the conservative candidate, endorsed Milei, who wants to ‘blow up’ the central bank, give up the peso in favour of the dollar, ban abortion, cut welfare, close key government ministries, loosen gun laws and legalise the sale of human organs.
Argentine society, which is experiencing rampant poverty and record inflation, also chose this chainsaw-wielding candidate over Massa, who was described as hailing ‘from the right of the Peronist movement’. Massa, who was promoted to the role of economy minister in August 2022, where he imposed austerity measures, has conceded defeat.
As president, Milei — who does not hold many seats in the Congress — will have to work with his adversaries. ‘Are we heading towards a convergence of the “two rights”, with authoritarian neoliberalism looking to neoliberal authoritarianism as a lifeline?’ Anne-Dominique Correa asked in October.