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Milei secures major victory in Argentina's midterm elections

Iran Press TV

Monday, 27 October 2025 2:27 AM

Argentina's leader Javier Milei pulled off a big win in Sunday's midterm elections, boosting the flagging reform agenda of the right winger.

Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA) party rebounded from a series of setbacks to win 40.84 percent of the votes cast for members of Congress, according to official results based on over 90 percent of ballots counted.

The center left Peronist movement, which had been riding high after winning last month's Buenos Aires provincial elections, trailed with 31.64 percent, the partial results showed.

The outcome strengthens Milei's hand as he moves ahead with his campaign to downsize the state and deregulate the economy, although he will still need to forge alliances in Congress with the center right to pass legislation.

At LLA's election night gathering, hundreds of Milei's supporters celebrated the results with cheers, hugs, chants and even some tears.

The elections were the first national test of Milei's support since he won office two years ago on a promise to revive the long ailing Argentine economy through a series of painful reforms.

Half of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and one third of the Senate were contested on Sunday.

The run-up to the election was marked by a run on the national currency, the peso, that forced Milei to seek a bailout from US President Donald Trump.

Washington promised an unprecedented $40 billion package of aid, but the assistance came with a warning from Trump to Argentines that he would not "be generous" if Sunday's election did not go Milei's way.

Low turnout

Ahead of the election, several Milei voters had expressed disappointment with his leadership, particularly over corruption scandals involving members of his inner circle. But they also voiced continued opposition to the Peronist movement, which governed Argentina for much of its post war history but has been widely accused of corruption and mismanagement.

At 67.9 percent, turnout was the lowest in a national election in over 40 years, reflecting widespread disillusionment with the political class.

The most surprising results were in Buenos Aires province, where LLA clawed its way back from defeat in last month's local elections to run neck and neck with the Peronists.

Former TV pundit Milei, 55, has cut tens of thousands of public sector jobs, frozen public works, reduced spending on health, education and pensions, and led a major deregulation drive since taking office in December 2023.

His reforms were blamed for initially plunging millions of Argentines deeper into poverty. They did, however, slow inflation by two thirds, to the relief of many, although at the expense of faltering economic growth, consumption and manufacturing.

Investors began dumping the peso last month amid concerns over the economy and Milei's support, further intensifying the challenges facing his government.