2023-11-20 07:44:51
The new Argentine president, Javier Milei, and his partner, Fatima Florez, greet their supporters in Buenos Aires, Sunday November 19. EMILIANO LASALVIA / AFP
We expected a victory. It was a clear triumph. Sunday, November 19, the supporters gathered in front of the headquarters of the ultraliberal Javier Milei, in Buenos Aires, vibrated with a rumbling “freedom, freedom!” », repeated like a mantra, flags of Argentina and yellow standards stamped with a lion – the symbol of their candidate – waved in the air. Javier Milei, 53, deputy of the La Libertad Avanza coalition (“freedom advances”), involved in politics for only three years, was elected president of Argentina in the second round of the presidential election. An unprecedented and resounding victory.
The “anti-system” candidate won 55.7% of the votes, in a country governed for decades by two structuring forces, Peronism (named after General Juan Domingo Peron, president between 1946 and 1955 then between 1973 and 1974) and anti-Peronism. His rival, the current Minister of the Economy and Peronist candidate, Sergio Massa, obtained only 44.3% of the vote, or almost three million votes less.
“Today begins the end of decadence”promised the president-elect for four years, during his victory speech, prophesying “the reconstruction of Argentina”: “The impoverishing “caste” model is over. Today, we are adopting the model of freedom, to become a world power again. »
Ban on abortion
His warning was clear, while his economic proposals were radical: “There is no room for gradualism, lukewarmness or half-measures, he thundered. If we do not make structural changes quickly, we are heading towards the worst crisis in our history. »
Declarations as polemical as they are extreme include the replacement of the national currency by the dollar, the drastic reduction in public spending, the ban on abortion, the liberalization of the sale of arms, the severance of diplomatic relations with the Brazil and China…
Supporters of Javier Milei celebrate his victory in the presidential election in front of his campaign headquarters in Buenos Aires (Argentina), November 19, 2023. MATIAS DELACROIX / AP
Abandoning his usual vindictive tone, he also for the first time issued an invitation to “all those who want to join the new Argentina”politicians included, before concluding his speech with a salvo of “long live freedom, damn it!” “, his favorite slogan, shouted in a gravelly rocker’s voice.
Javier Milei benefited from an almost arithmetic transfer of votes from Patricia Bullrich, the right-wing candidate who came third (24%) in the first round on October 22. Shortly after her defeat, she decided to support the ultraliberal, an alliance headed by former president Mauricio Macri (center right, 2015-2019). This decisive support for victory, but also the need to convince beyond his hard core of voters, had pushed Javier Milei to moderate his speech before the second round, even if it meant contradicting himself, for example by promising the sustainability of health. and public education, without giving further details.
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