In Argentina’s presidential runoff, Javier Milei prevails, moving the country to the right

In Argentina, even before the official results were made public by the election body, Economy Minister Sergio Massa tactfully conceded loss to populist Javier Milei in the presidential runoff. In a display of classic sportsmanship, Massa congratulated Milei, a right-wing economist who is often compared to the late US President Donald Trump and who has made a commitment to fundamentally alter a number of national institutions.

The Argentine electoral authority released the preliminary results shortly after Massa conceded, showing that, with 86.6% of the votes tallied, Milei received 55.95% of the vote and Massa received 44.04%. The result clears the path for Argentina to turn right, reflecting the discontent of the populace with rising inflation and rising rates of poverty. As a recent arrival to the political arena, Milei describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist. He started out as a television pundit, harshly denouncing what he called the “political caste.”
Inflation reached almost 140% under Massa’s presidency, and poverty increased, adding to the general unhappiness. On the other hand, self-described anarcho-capitalist Milei is in favor of shrinking the state and controlling inflation. The current government minister, who is running against him, advised against the possible negative effects of such policies.

Voters had to decide between two candidates in the election, each of whom they saw as the lesser of two evils. Many Argentines who were struggling financially could relate to Milei’s passionate words, especially the younger generation.

The next president of Argentina is Javier Gerardo Milei, a politician, writer, and economist from Argentina. Milei first gained notoriety as an economist and the author of many books on economics and politics. Her shocking win in the August primary elections rocked the nation’s political establishment in the run-up to the October presidential election.