'Milei, Backed by Trump, Achieves Landslide Victory in Argentina's Midterm Elections'

In Argentina's midterm elections, the right-wing ruling party led by President Javier Milei achieved a landslide victory on the 26th (local time), bolstered by support from former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Guillermo Francos, Argentina’s Chief of Cabinet Ministers (equivalent to Prime Minister), held a press conference at around 9:20 p.m. that day and announced, "With about 90% of the votes counted in today’s upper and lower house elections, the Liberty Advances party has provisionally secured 40.85% of the vote, while the Peronist opposition (a left-wing populist political ideology succeeding former President Juan Domingo Peron) has received 24.85%."

Javier Milei, President of Argentina. Photo by AP Yonhap News

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This election, seen as a report card on President Milei’s past two years in office, will select 24 senators (one-third of the total 72) and 127 deputies (about half of the 257-member lower house).

According to election authorities, Bloomberg News reported that President Milei’s Liberty Advances party will secure a total of 64 seats in the lower house and 13 seats in the upper house as a result of this election.

It is observed that the ruling party alliance (the pro-government bloc) has achieved its initial goal by securing a total of 86 seats in the lower house, including existing seats. Holding 86 seats in the lower house, which is about one-third of the total, allows the bloc to block unilateral legislative attempts by the opposition and prevent the opposition from rejecting government bills.

Out of the 257 seats, the pro-government bloc is expected to have around 110 members, including 81 from the ruling party itself, up from the previous 80. The Peronist opposition is projected to hold 99 seats, maintaining its status as the largest single party in the chamber, but its influence is inevitably diminished.

Although the ruling party did not secure a majority in the Senate, foreign media analyzed that it will be able to raise its voice in key reform negotiations.

President Milei, speaking at the ruling party’s election headquarters (Libertad Hotel) in Buenos Aires that night, said, "Today we have passed a turning point, and since the launch of the government in 2023, the people have renewed their trust in me." He added, "The people of Argentina have shown that they do not want to return to a failed model." Quoting the slogan of former U.S. President Donald Trump, he declared, "We will make Argentina great again."

President Trump congratulated President Milei via his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, "The people of Argentina have justified our trust in him."

The results of this midterm election appear to have been strongly influenced by President Trump’s support. President Trump expressed his unwavering support for President Milei, calling him a "key ally in South America," and promised economic aid worth 40 billion dollars to help resolve Argentina’s economic crisis. He made electoral victory a condition for this support. During a summit with President Milei on the 14th, President Trump mentioned economic aid and warned, "If you lose the election, we will not be lenient with Argentina."

Known as the "Trump of Argentina" for his political style similar to that of President Trump, President Milei launched aggressive austerity measures known as the "chainsaw reforms" immediately after taking office in December 2023. He succeeded in reducing the inflation rate from over 200% to 30%, but faced criticism for implementing one-sided policies that did not consider vulnerable groups, as well as allegations of corruption involving his family and close associates. Last month, he suffered a crushing defeat in the Buenos Aires provincial elections, where about 40% of Argentina’s population resides.

As a result, President Milei faced a major test less than two years into his term, but with this midterm election victory, he has secured momentum to govern for the remaining two years.

Gustavo Cordoba, head of the Argentine polling agency Suban Cordoba, told Reuters that the election results reflect concerns about the possibility of a repeat of past government economic crises, explaining, "Many people wanted to give the Milei administration another chance."

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