Javier Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, secured a significant victory in Argentina’s midterm elections, marking a pivotal moment in the nation’s political landscape. In last month’s election, Milei’s La Libertad Avanza party won a shocking 40.84% of the nationwide vote. In response, they won 64 seats in the lower house and 12 seats in the Senate. Their electoral success was remarkable, yet the voter turnout barely reached 67.85%. This is the lowest turnout since Argentina lost democracy in 1983, implying a demoralized electorate.
It is important to understand Milei’s rise to power, which comes after an unprecedented economic crisis in Argentina. During his administration’s launch, he cut spending with such ferocity, it was dubbed the “chainsaw” budget. These cuts mostly evaporated tens of thousands of public jobs and halted critical investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and education. This controversial approach generated remarkable outcomes. Inflation has soared since the start of the year, reaching well over 200% at one point, but falling to about 30% as of September. Besides tackling hyperinflation and introducing Dollarization, Milei has managed to let Argentina see its first fiscal surplus in 14 years, a testament to the turnaround in economic management.
The Peronist opposition party, Fuerza Patria, finished a distant second to La Libertad Avanza, with just 31.67% of the vote. The surprise electoral outcome has raised eyebrows both nationally and internationally from, most notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump himself. In the U.S., Trump hailed Milei’s victory as a “landslide victory.” He is hoping that Argentines have proven him right, that his faith in Milei was not misplaced.
“Our confidence in him was justified by the people of Argentina.” – Donald Trump
Yet, Milei’s path to where he stands today hasn’t been easy. His popularity is now coming under fire due to recent corruption allegations against his sister, Karina Milei. Further, controversy swirled around a cryptocurrency he endorsed. It eventually exploded in a classic crypto rug pull. Now, one of his party’s top candidates has jumped ship from the race. He pleaded guilty to accepting $200,000 from a businessman involved in narcotics trafficking to the U.S.
Despite these bumps in the road, Milei is continuing down the path of implementing reforms to lay the groundwork to stabilize and eventually grow Argentina’s economy. He implored in his victory speech that the country has come to a turning point.
“Today we passed the tipping point – the construction of a great Argentina begins.” – Javier Milei
Under his extraordinary administration, Javier Milei is prepared to confront a hostile political environment. Most importantly, they are working on the ground to demand and implement broader economic reforms. Economic activity grew 0.3% in August 2025. This is a welcome turnaround after three straight months of decrease.
In his victory speech after the primary results, Milei underscored that long-term approach to the future he pledged to embrace.
“Now we are focused on carrying out the reforms that Argentina needs to consolidate growth and the definitive take-off of the country – to make Argentina great again.” – Javier Milei
Javier Milei is only beginning a new chapter for Argentina. Observers on both sides of the political spectrum are hungry to see how his administration will confront the ongoing economic challenges and controversies swirling around his unexpected ascension to power. The upcoming months will be crucial as he attempts to solidify his position and implement his ambitious agenda for change.