Argentine president hails his party’s midterm election victory as a turning point
Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei hailed his party’s landslide victory in Sunday’s midterm congressional elections as a turning point, vowing to press ahead with his reform agenda.
Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party recovered from a series of electoral setbacks to win 40.84% of the vote, according to official results based on more than 90% of the votes counted.
Partial results showed that the center-left Peronist movement, which achieved strong results in Buenos Aires regional elections last month, came in second place with 31.64%.
These results strengthen Milei’s position to move forward with his campaign to liberalize the economy, although he will still need to form alliances in Congress with the center-right to pass legislation.
Milei celebrated the victory in Buenos Aires, telling his cheering supporters, “Today we have reached a turning point. Today the building of a great Argentina begins”.
Voter turnout in the elections reached 67.9%, the lowest in more than 40 years, reflecting widespread disillusionment with the political class.
The midterm elections represent the first national test for the 55-year-old “anarcho-capitalist” president, whose victory in the 2023 presidential election shook Argentina’s political landscape.
The elections gained global resonance, thanks to massive aid exceeding $40 billion promised by the administration of US President Donald Trump to its ideological ally in South America.
However, this aid is conditional, according to Trump, who stressed that Washington won’t be as generous if Milei loses.
In recent months, Javier Milei has promised his citizens that “the hardest part is over,” recognizing that the majority of Argentines have been affected more by privatization than by overall economic stability.
The elections will renew half of the seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the seats in the Senate, where no party holds an absolute majority.
Economic actors, as well as international donors such as the International Monetary Fund, urged Milei to strengthen political and social support for his reforms.
The Argentine president is counting on his success in convincing voters, with inflation falling from over 200% to 31.8% year-on-year, and a budgetary stability the country hasn’t seen in 14 years.
But the changes he introduced also led to the loss of more than 200,000 jobs, slowed economic activity, which contracted by 1.8% in 2024, and exacerbated social inequalities more than ever before.
“This government is trying to pull the country out of the hole into which its predecessors plunged it,” said a 70-year-old retiree, as he emerged from the polls “in support of the president”.
He expressed hope that the president’s efforts would result in “reducing inflation and stopping the issuance of new currency,” while noting his criticism of him, saying, “But Mellie lacks tact.
He must stop disdaining those who helped him, limit the power of his sister, who has held official positions, and, despite his good knowledge of economics, listen to those who understand politics.
On the other hand, Senator Martin Lustow (opposition) said, “The economic program isn’t going well for people, businesses, or industry”.
He added, “We need a parliament that is less divided, less shouting and insulting, and more capable of dialogue”.
Political scientist Lara Guiburu believes, “Whatever the outcome of Sunday’s elections, Milei will have to be realistic and be able to negotiate to pass his laws”.
