Javier Milei Proclaims Historic Moment as His Party Secures Midterm Success
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| “Argentina’s Milei pledges sweeping reforms after landmark election win – video” |
The party of Argentina’s far-right president, Javier Milei, secured victory in Sunday’s midterms after Donald Trump promised a $40 billion rescue plan—on the condition that Milei prevailed.
With over 95% of votes tallied, La Libertad Avanza captured 40.84% of the national vote, in what many observers viewed as a de facto referendum on the self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist’s nearly two years in office. The Peronist opposition, Fuerza Patria, trailed with 31.67%.
Although the outcome stops short of granting President Javier Milei a majority in Congress—which remains under Peronist control—it nonetheless caught Argentine analysts off guard. The strong performance comes despite recent setbacks to Milei’s popularity, including corruption accusations involving his sister and the country’s worsening economic turmoil.
Before the vote, government insiders had sought to manage expectations, suggesting that a result between 30% and 35% would already be considered a success—particularly after Milei’s heavy loss in the Buenos Aires provincial elections in September, where he fell to the Peronists by 14 percentage points.
This time, Milei’s party flipped the script, securing victory in Argentina’s largest electoral district, which represents roughly 40% of the nation’s voters.
Addressing hundreds of supporters at a Buenos Aires hotel, Milei theatrically declared, “I am the king of a lost world.” He opened his speech by proclaiming, “Today we passed the tipping point – the building of a great Argentina begins.”
The president praised the US bailout, describing it as “unprecedented, not only in Argentine history but in global terms, since the US has never extended support of this scale.”
“From now on, our focus is on implementing the reforms Argentina needs to solidify growth and launch the country toward a definitive takeoff – to make Argentina great again,” Milei added in Spanish, directly echoing the Trump-era slogan.
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| A woman protests against the partnership between Trump and Milei. Photo: Emiliano Lasalvia/AFP/Getty Images |
On Sunday night, Donald Trump extended his congratulations, describing Milei’s party’s victory as a “landslide.”
Speaking from Asia on Monday, Trump credited the US with giving Milei “a lot of help” and praised the unexpected outcome as a “big win” and “a great thing.”
“He had significant support from us. I gave him a very strong endorsement,” Trump said, also acknowledging contributions from top officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who managed the financial aid to Argentina. “We remain committed to many countries in South America and place strong focus on the region,” he added.
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| Life-size cutouts of Milei and Trump stand in Buenos Aires. Photograph: MatÃas Baglietto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock |
The recent gains in the lower house, when added to the seats already held, have enabled the government to achieve its primary objective for this election: securing at least one-third of the chamber, enough to uphold presidential vetoes.
Nearly two years into his administration, Milei launched his so-called “chainsaw” reforms, cutting tens of thousands of public sector positions and halting investment in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and even the provision of medicines for retirees.
Despite these controversial measures, he succeeded in reducing inflation from over 200% in 2023 to roughly 30% by September. The country recorded its first fiscal surplus in 14 years, and economic activity in August 2025 rose by 0.3% following three months of contraction.
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Karina Milei greets cheering supporters. Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images |
However, Argentinians continue to face a sharp decline in purchasing power: most report struggling to cover basic expenses, over 250,000 jobs have been lost, and roughly 18,000 businesses have shut down.
Milei’s popularity has also suffered amid a series of controversies. A cryptocurrency he promoted collapsed, while his sister and top cabinet member, Karina Milei, became embroiled in an alleged corruption scandal. Additionally, one of the party’s leading candidates withdrew from Sunday’s election after admitting to receiving $200,000 from a businessman accused of drug trafficking in the United States.
In an effort to stabilize the peso, the government depleted its dollar reserves, even after securing a $20 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund—$14 billion of which has already been disbursed—and eventually turned to Donald Trump, who intervened with a $40 billion bailout.
Many in Argentina viewed Trump’s involvement as foreign interference, and analysts warned that U.S. support could backfire due to prevailing anti-American sentiment in parts of the country.
Although voting is mandatory, turnout fell to its lowest level since the return to democracy in 1983, with 67.85% of eligible voters participating, breaking the previous record low of 71% set in 2021.
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