In Argentina, primaries were held for the presidency. The person with the most votes is Javier Milei. The far-right Milei does not hide that he is a "fan" of Donald Trump.
PHOTO: Milei is one-of-a-kind with his hair and his leather jacket he hardly takes off.
20 November 2023
Presidential elections were held on November 19, 2023, in Argentina, which experienced double-digit inflation and economic crisis. Milei, candidate of the Party for the Development of Freedom, and Sergio Massa, candidate of the "Peronist" alliance and current Minister of Economy, competed in the election.
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The pre-election, attended by presidential candidates from all parties in Argentina, is an important indicator for the presidential elections to be held on October 22. Milei received 30 percent of the vote and exceeded expectations. In Argentina, the situation was described as a "political earthquake".
In Argentina, primaries are not limited to party members and are open to anyone eligible to vote in presidential elections. Participation is also mandatory. Therefore, leaving the primary elections with a good result is a much more important indicator for the main elections than in other countries.
Javier Gerardo Milei (born 22 October 1970) is an Argentine politician and economist serving as a federal deputy of Buenos Aires and leader of the political coalition La Libertad Avanza. Since December 2021, Milei has been a National Deputy (member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies) in Buenos Aires for La Libertad Avanza. During his National Deputy election campaign in July 2021, he pledged not to vote for any tax raises or new taxes. Milei is running for president in the 2023 Argentine general election, with Victoria Villarruel as his running mate.
Milei appeared behind center-left economy minister Sergio Massa and conservative candidate Patricia Bullrich in the polls, but received 30.06 percent of the vote in the primaries, beating Bullrich with 28.27 percent and Sergio Massa with 27.24 percent.
Born in the capital city of Buenos Aires on October 22, 1970, Javier Milei's interest in politics started at a young age. After the country's hyperinflation in the late 1970s, Milei decided he wanted to study economics. At a young age, he was interested not only in politics but also in all areas of life. He was a goalkeeper until the age of 19 and sang for the Rolling Stones in a band called Everest.
Milei, who was interested in economics after his education, also worked in giant companies such as HSBC. He has been a professor of macroeconomics, microeconomics, and mathematics for over 21 years. He follows the teachings of the Austrian School in Economics.
The radio show "Destroying Myths" also attracted great attention. He also entered politics and formed the “La Libertad Avanza” coalition in 2021. Although he has been in Congress since 2021, Milei likes to present himself as a "stranger in politics."
His anti-establishment view has endeared him to Argentine voters who were angry at current and previous governments for failing to resolve Argentina's economic crisis.
Annual inflation in Argentina is over 115 percent, one in four Argentines lives in poverty, and the peso is losing more and more value every day.
The bad situation in the economy is Milei's biggest weapon as it has its field. Speaking after Sunday's primary election, Milei told his supporters that "we have succeeded in building this competitive alternative that will bring an end to the parasitic, thief, useless political order."
Milei said that if elected, he would abolish Argentina's Central Bank, replace the peso with the US dollar, and privatize state companies that made a loss.
Milei not only has radical ideas in the field of economics but also his views on social issues compare himself to other leaders. Like Brazil's former far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro, Milei proposes a loosening of gun controls.
Milei also stated that he was against abortion as long as the mother's life was not at risk and added the promise of "protecting the lives of children from the moment they were conceived" to the campaign program.
He argues that sex education in schools is an attempt to destroy the “traditional family.”
He denies climate change.
Milei's success was enthusiastically celebrated by his supporters. “We are the real opposition, we are the only ones who want real change because remember, a different Argentina is not possible with the same old people, the same old people who have always failed, the same old people who have failed for 100 years,” Milei said.
If one of the candidates fails to obtain a majority in the first round of the presidential election on 22 October, a second round will be held on 19 November.
20 November 2023
Presidential elections were held on November 19, 2023, in Argentina, which experienced double-digit inflation and economic crisis. Milei, candidate of the Party for the Development of Freedom, and Sergio Massa, candidate of the "Peronist" alliance and current Minister of Economy, competed in the election.
Milei won the election, which was followed closely by the world, with 56 percent of the votes, while Massa received 44 percent. After the results were announced, Minister Massa called his rival Milei and congratulated him on his election success.
During the campaign, Milei promised to cut government spending and abolish key ministries, including the health and education ministries, as well as the Central Bank.
The Argentinian politician, who is a fan of former US President Donald Trump, emphasized that he would purge corrupt establishment politicians and fight against global socialism.
Stating that the results were far from his expectations, Massa said, "I called and congratulated him for the Argentines choosing Milei for the next 4 years. While doing this, I conveyed to him the message that the most important thing is respect for coexistence, dialogue, and peace amidst all these difficulties."
Milei, who will serve as president of Argentina until 2027, will take over from current President Fernandez on December 10.