Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei won a convincing victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. 66 percent of voters came to vote, which is the lowest voter turnout in the last 40 years, CNN reported.
In short:
- Javier Milei won the Argentine parliamentary elections
- Voter turnout was a 40-year record low
- The election was seen as a test of support for Mileia’s reforms
From the preliminary incomplete results of the counting of votes, it appears that 40.84 percent of the voters supported Milei’s party Freedom Advances (La Libertad Avanza – LLA) in the elections to the lower house of Congress at the national level. The left-centrist Peronist opposition bloc Patriotic Force (Fuerza Patria – FP) won 24.5 percent of the vote.
Results in the provinces
CNN reported that the LLA also controlled six of the eight provinces where elections were held for a third of the seats in the Senate.
Sunday’s elections were accompanied by a low voter turnout, which was seen as a manifestation of the disappointment of some voters not only with President Milei, but also with the opposition, AFP and Reuters reported, writes TASR.
In the elections, voters decided on the filling of half of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the upper chamber of the Argentine Parliament – the Senate.
Milei’s reforms
This election decided whether Milei would enter the second half of his term strengthened or weakened. They were supposed to check support for his free market reforms and strict austerity measures.
The current parliament has already blocked many of Milei’s reforms and proposals, including efforts to privatize state-owned firms and vetoing a proposal to increase spending on public universities, emergency pediatrics and people with disabilities.
In addition, Reuters recalled that people from Milei’s surroundings were involved in several scandals, which does not add to the popularity of the LLA party.
Choosing the lesser evil
Reuters quoted pensioner Adriana Cotone, 69, as saying she voted for LLA but “not because it’s the best choice, but because I know clearly who I don’t want” – referring to the centrist left-wing Peronist party that ruled Argentina for most of the post-war period and has been linked to corruption scandals.
During his term as president, Milei reduced the number of public sector employees, suspended public works, cut spending on health, education and pensions, and introduced extensive deregulation. The reforms caused a temporary deepening of poverty for millions of Argentines, but they reduced inflation by about two-thirds.
Economic difficulties
Before the elections, Argentina saw a massive sell-off of the national currency, the peso, which prompted Mileio to ask for US help. Washington has pledged an unprecedented $40 billion aid package, but President Donald Trump has warned Argentines that he will not be “generous” if the election result is not favorable to Mileio.
According to Reuters, Milei has announced cabinet changes after the election, which could include members of the centrist PRO party, a frequent ally of the congressional government led by former president Mauricio Macri.
