Argentina has elected 53-year-old far-right outsider Javier Milei as its new president. After nearly all the votes were tallied, Mr. Milei emerged victorious in the pivotal run-off, garnering over 56% of the vote, comfortably surpassing his left-wing opponent Sergio Massa's 44%.
"A political earthquake" describes the radical newcomer's triumph.
Mr. Milei, who his detractors also refer to as "El Loco" (The Madman), has vowed significant reforms, such as doing away with the peso in favor of the US dollar and "blowing up" the central bank to stop it from creating more money, which he claims is fueling This, in his opinion, is causing inflation.
Along with reducing welfare payments, he has suggested dissolving the ministries of women, culture, health, and education to reduce bureaucracy. Following his election victory, he declared he would privatize Argentina's public broadcasters and the nation's national energy corporation, YPF, in a series of interviews with the media.
"Everything that can be [put] into the hands of the private sector will be in the hands of the private sector," he stated. However, Mr. Milei added that YPF would need to be "rebuilt" before it could be privatized. He did not specify how long that might take.
In addition, the president-elect declared that "there would be no more state spending" and that public works projects would be "cut down to zero" and those now underway would be put up to bid.
Regarding social problems, he wants to enable the selling and purchase of human organs, relax gun rules, and outlaw abortion, which Argentina legalized in 2020.
The election of Mr. Milei coincides with a severe economic crisis that has caused yearly inflation to soar to 143% and 40% of Argentines to live in poverty. Although pre-election opinion surveys had placed Mr. Milei slightly ahead of Mr. Massa, the provisional results show that he won by a margin of more than 11%, shocking many.
The departing left-wing government's minister of economy, Mr. Massa, promptly announced his defeat, stating that "obviously the results are not what we had hoped for."
According to analysts, voters tired of Argentina's established parties were drawn to Mr. Milei's combative attitude and pledge to "do away with the political caste," which he holds responsible for the nation's problems." The era of this decadent model is over. In his victory speech, he assured his supporters that Argentina was entering a new age and that there was no going back.
Additionally, he declared that the changes he would implement would be swift and severe. The former economist and commentator raised a chainsaw in the air during a campaign rally to represent efforts to reduce spending.
Voters in Buenos Aires seemed to respond well to his message as they celebrated his victory. A woman told the AFP news agency, "We were exhausted, we wanted to renew, we wanted to see new faces, always the same ones; I bet on change, on Milei, that it will go well for him, it will go well for the country."
The nation stands on the brink of transformation, and the world watches with anticipation as Milei pledges a new era, emphasizing the need to reclaim Argentina's historical prominence on the global stage. Whether this unconventional approach will lead to the desired revitalization or introduce unforeseen challenges remains to be seen. Still, for now, the people celebrate the promise of change and a departure from the status quo.
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