Buenos Aires: Argentinian President Javier Milei’s party, La Libertad Avanza, has achieved a stunning victory in the country’s legislative elections, according to early results.
The outcome strengthens Milei’s hand in pushing through his sweeping free-market reforms and deep austerity measures aimed at reshaping Argentina’s struggling economy. Preliminary counts covering more than 90 percent of ballots show La Libertad Avanza securing 40.84 percent of the vote, compared with 31.64 percent for the opposition Peronist coalition.
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The results mark a decisive moment in Argentina’s political landscape, signalling broad voter approval for Milei’s economic overhaul. The midterm vote represented the first national test of Milei’s popularity since taking office two years ago — a test he passed resoundingly.
The outcome is expected to bolster his support from US President Donald Trump, whose administration recently extended a massive $40 billion bailout package to Argentina. Trump had warned that continued financial backing would depend on Milei’s political strength.
Celebrating at party headquarters, Milei called the victory a ‘turning point’ and declared that Argentina had left decadence behind and opted for progress. Supporters erupted in applause as he promised to accelerate his reforms.
Milei’s party triples its seat count
In elections, 127 lower-house seats and 24 Senate seats were contested. Milei’s La Libertad Avanza emerged as the dominant force, tripling its representation to 101 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (up from 37) and gaining 20 seats in the Senate (up from six).
The most striking results came from Buenos Aires province, traditionally a Peronist stronghold. Milei’s party managed to claw back from a recent local defeat, running neck-and-neck with the Peronists in a region long seen as the bedrock of opposition power.
With the new seat tally, Milei now has enough congressional strength to uphold vetoes, block impeachment efforts, and advance his ambitious tax and labour reforms in the months ahead.
US backing and economic context
The Trump administration has played a pivotal role in supporting Milei’s economic revival plan, offering a $20 billion currency swap and a proposed $20 billion debt investment facility. Analysts say Washington’s financial backing and vocal endorsement of Milei helped influence public perception during the campaign.
Milei’s comeback followed a sharp decline in support after a local loss in Buenos Aires last month, a result widely attributed to public frustration over harsh austerity policies. Despite these setbacks, his measures have produced tangible results, notably reducing inflation from 289 percent in April 2024 to 32 percent last month.
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