Argentine President Milei’s Party Suffers Crushing Defeat in Key Buenos Aires Provincial Election
Argentine President Milei’s Party Suffers Crushing Defeat in Key Buenos Aires Provincial Election
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – President Javier Milei’s libertarian party, La Libertad Avanza, faced a significant political setback on Sunday, securing only 34% of the vote in a crucial Buenos Aires provincial election. The results, widely seen as a barometer for upcoming congressional midterms, saw the left-leaning Peronist opposition achieve a landslide victory with 47% of ballots counted.
Milei himself conceded the 13-point loss as a “clear defeat,” acknowledging the need to internalize and process political mistakes. Despite the setback, the president vowed to continue with his ambitious economic overhaul, stating there would be “no retreat in government policy.”
The defeat is particularly impactful as Milei grapples with a struggling economy and a recent graft scandal involving close associates. Analysts had predicted a loss for La Libertad Avanza, but the scale of the defeat in Argentina’s most populous province — representing nearly 40% of the country’s population — is expected to embolden rivals and potentially rattle investors ahead of the critical congressional midterm elections next month.
The outcome significantly raises the stakes for Milei, who needs to expand his party’s minority presence in the opposition-dominated Congress to push through his radical libertarian reforms. The Peronist victory strengthens their position as the largest bloc in Congress, potentially intensifying challenges to Milei’s efforts to balance Argentina’s budget.
Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, a leading Peronist figure, celebrated the results, urging Milei to “get out of your bubble.” The election also highlighted Axel Kicillof, the left-wing governor of Buenos Aires province and a fierce critic of Milei, as a potential future leader of the Peronist movement, who used his victory speech to rebuke Milei’s austerity measures.
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