By Matthew Polyak
On November 19th, 2023, the people of Argentina elected Javier Milei as their next president. Milei has pledged to change numerous things about the South American country. But who is he? What does he stand for? And most importantly, what does he plan to do?
Who is Javier Milei?
Named “the madman” and “the wig”, Javier Milei is known for being quite the character. Born on October 22nd, 1970, Javier Gerardo Milei was the son of a homemaker mother and bus driver turned entrepreneur father. They lived in a middle-class neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The school would be where he would be named “el loco,” the madman, for his crazy personality and loud outbursts.
He has often described his childhood as very troubled. He was abused both physically and verbally by both of his parents and would cease communication with them as an adult. His maternal grandmother and his younger sister, Karina Milei supported him. His sister would play a pivotal role in both his childhood and adulthood.
As a young teen, Milei was the lead vocalist for a Rolling Stones cover band and a successful goalkeeper for the lower-ranked soccer team Chacarita Juniors Football Club. However, hyperinflation during the late 1980s in Argentina affected his family heavily, causing Milei to shift his interests away from music and soccer to economics. He attended the University of Belgrano, studying Keynesian economics while working as an intern at a bank.
Following his graduation with a degree in economics, he continued his academic career at the Institute of Economic and Social Development and the Torcuato Di Tella University, where he earned 2 master’s degrees. He would eventually pursue a career in economics—working in the private sector.
After different stints in economic-based positions, he would act as an adviser to Antonio Bussi, who at the time was the governor of the Tucuman province. It would eventually be uncovered that Bussi was involved in Argentina’s Dirty War (1976-1983). After the news broke, Milei resigned and became notorious for his television punditry.
His flamboyant personality made him a favorite amongst many, helping him grow a large amount of support. He would have explosive television rants criticizing government officials. In one famous segment, he smashed a piñata that represented Argentina’s Central Bank. Another famous segment of his was Milei taking on the role of a superhero-like character, General Ancap. General Ancap was the leader of the made-up nation “Liberland”, which was a country with no taxes.
Supporters of his were able to nudge him into entering politics. Milei formed a political party called “La Libertad Avanza” (Liberty Advances). Under this party, he ran for a seat in Buenos Aires’s Chamber of Deputies—and won.
Milei certainly eyed up a possible presidency and wanted to become a big player. To get himself more known to the international crowd, he attended the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2022. He became very popular amongst right-wingers, libertarians, and conservatives worldwide.
He would eventually become La Libertad Avanza’s candidate and finally run for president. Following several elections and primaries, he won the final election runoff on November 19th—taking 56% of the vote. His opponent, Minister of Economics Sergio Massa, took 44% of the vote. Milei was inaugurated as Argentina’s president on December 10th, 2023.
What does Javier Milei stand for?
Javier Milei has often been described as a right-wing libertarian. He supports laissez-faire economics, aligning with capitalist principles. He is often heard criticizing socialism and communism. His philosophy is rooted in life, liberty, and property, and free-market principles. He opposes Argentina’s central bank and current policies on taxation. He is in favor of restricting and restructuring certain government ministries.
Milei advocates for keeping relations between the United States close and positive. He has also advocated for keeping good relations with Israel and Ukraine. On the contrary, he argues for severing relations between China and any other socialist or communist nation.
Milei has praised the economic policies of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and criticized Pope Francis as a socialist. He is often seen as a similar figure to former U.S. President Donald Trump and former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro.
Milei is a social conservative and is opposed to abortion and euthanasia. He believes that citizens should have the freedom to choose concerning the following topics: drug policy, firearms, prostitution, same-sex marriage, sexual preference, and gender identity. He is opposed to the International Monetary Fund (the United Nations’s financial agency), mandatory vaccinations, and trade unions. He also believes in restricting immigration for criminals.
He has called climate change a “socialist lie” and claims that the 2022 U.S. presidential election was fraudulent. While Milei was raised a catholic, he has expressed his desire to convert to Judaism. However, he has also recognized that observing the Sabbath could be challenging with the work level he would have as president.
What will Javier Milei do?
Milei has promised to shrink the amount of reach the government has on its citizens as much as possible. Milei has also proposed ditching the Argentine peso for the more stable U.S. dollar as the official national currency.
As mentioned above, he promised to close ties with socialist and communist countries and become closer to the United States and Israel. His main goal has been to stabilize the economy.
So far following his inauguration as president, Milei has had a 53% approval rating according to a poll by Aresco on December 15th. Milei has decreased the number of ministries from 18 to 9 and has already signed Decree 70/2023, which deregulates the Argentine economy—subject to congressional approval. In a major foreign policy decision, Milei has severed all ties with BRICS, an international government organization comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE.
Conclusion
Javier Milei will bring much-needed change to Argentina. He is a popular figure who has promised to restore Argentina to stability and it looks like that is something he can deliver. His win in the election is surely another victory for the United States and the free world.
Scribemen Magazine 