Javier Milei will be the next president of Argentina. The 53-year-old economist defeated Peronist Sergio Massa in a runoff election by a wider margin than expected, 55% to 44%. He will be the first libertarian president in the history of the South American country and will take office to combat high rates of inflation (over 100%) and poverty (42%).
After coming in second place in the October general elections, the libertarian managed to add 26 points in about a month due to his alliance with the hard wing of Together for Change, led by Patricia Bullrich and former President Mauricio Macri.
Even though the polls showed a more equal split, with almost all polls within the margin of error, Milei achieved electoral success with resounding victories in the most populous and economically significant provinces (Córdoba, Mendoza, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, San Luis and CABA), which combined with an excellent performance in the north and south of the country, painting almost all the districts purple. At the same time, he lost in the province of Buenos Aires, the biggest of all battles, by a difference of just one point.
President Milei will take office in a challenging context, without a majority in either chamber of Congress, and also without governors and mayors from his party throughout the country.
With the final results, the libertarian won in CABA, Córdoba, Santa Fe, San Luis, Entre Ríos, Mendoza, Catamarca, Chubut, Corrientes, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Neuquén, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, Salta, San Juan and Tucumán.
On the other hand, Massa, the current minister of economy won in Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero and the Province of Buenos Aires.
Massa acknowledged his defeat early
The Peronist candidate rushed to congratulate the libertarian. Before 8:30 p.m. local time, Massa went on stage and acknowledged the defeat. "I have communicated with Javier Milei to congratulate him and wish him luck because he is the president that the majority of Argentines elected for the next four years," he expressed, to the dismay of his supporters.
"We have also asked the president-elect and the president of the nation the responsibility of starting up tomorrow mechanisms of liaison and transition of democratic change so that the Argentines in the next 19 days have neither doubts nor uncertainties regarding the normal economic, social, political and institutional functioning," he added.
Results
Javier Milei (La Libertad Avanza): 55%.
Sergio Massa (Union for the Homeland): 44%.
Milei announces his first visits as president-elect: U.S. and Israel
Javier Milei was quick to announ his first visits before being officially sworn in as the new president of Argentina. As he revealed on the radio program "Alguien Tiene que Decirlo" ("Someone Has to Say It"), hosted by Eduardo Feinmann, his first stops will be the United States and Israel. These trips, he revealed, will be more spiritual since, during both, he will visit "rabbis who are friends in both places."
