Classical liberalist Javier Milei has won Argentina’s presidential runoff, declaring, ‘Today, the reconstruction of Argentina begins.’
Classical liberal economist Javier Milei has won Argentina’s presidential election, with Economy Minister Sergio Massa conceding defeat on Sunday, November 19, 2023.
The election result is still yet to be announced but at this stage, Argentina’s Electoral Authority has revealed that 99.4 percent of the votes have been counted, with Mr. Milei securing 55.7 percent of the vote and Mr. Massa with 44.3 percent.
Mr. Milei is expected to take office on Dec. 10. The Buenos Aires Times reported the president-elect told his supporters in his first speech since winning the top job that the South American country’s situation has global significance. He said drastic changes are needed to combat soaring inflation and rising poverty, echoing his promises throughout the election campaign.
“Today, the reconstruction of Argentina begins. Today is a historic night for Argentina,” Mr. Milei said.
“Argentina’s situation is critical. The changes our country needs are drastic. There is no room for gradualism, no room for lukewarm measures.”
He also promised under his care that “Argentina will return to the place in the world which it should never have lost.” One of the wealthiest countries in the world a century ago, Argentina has since become one of the poorest, after decades of high government spending and stagnation.
Throughout the election campaign, Mr. Milei, who leads the La Libertad Avanza (Liberty Advances) coalition, vowed to “put an end to the parasitic and useless political caste that is destroying this country.”
Among his other pledges were drastically cutting government spending, eliminating the nation’s central bank, cutting unnecessary government spending, deregulating private gun ownership, and dollarizing the economy by using the U.S. dollar as the country’s currency.
Inflation in Argentina has soared above 140 percent this year—surging past 100 percent in February for the first time since 1991—and poverty has worsened under the care of the formerly ruling Justicialist Party, also known as the Peronist Party, which advocated for “justicialismo,” translated to “social justice.” Looting and economic collapse have been only a few of the challenges the country has faced.
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