The elected president of Argentina, Javier Milei, plans to maintain his direct link with public opinion from the day of his inauguration. His plans, so far, are to speak to the public on the steps of the National Congress and not in the plenary of the house, as is customary in the history of presidential inaugurations in democratic times in the country.
Milei, who became popular through her appearances on television programs and social media, seeks to maintain her mode of direct communication with her voters. But he will depend on other political parties to approve his government’s projects, starting with the bill called ‘omnibus’ (as it brings together several projects) that should reach parliament the day after his inauguration, on Monday.
His party, A Liberdade Avança (LLA), has only 39 of the 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and in the 72 Senate it has just seven votes. But in the opinion of the new president of Argentina, the significant vote he received in the second round of the presidential elections (almost 56%, being the highest for a president in the country’s democracy) must be the well-fed basis of his actions – at least in the direct connection with your supporters.
At the same time, Milei has ‘allied’ himself with well-known names in Argentine politics, in an attitude contradictory to what he had contemplated in his electoral campaign. Instead of ‘the caste is afraid’, as he shouted in his actions, he has sided with many caste names.
His ministry will feature names known to Argentines. The future Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, was minister of the portfolio in the government of former president Mauricio Macri (2015-2019). The Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, was president of the Central Bank under Macri. In addition to them, famous surnames in local politics, such as Menem, gained space due to Milei’s influence and decision. This is the case of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Martin Menem, nephew of former president Carlos Menem (1989-1999), and elected to the post this Thursday, after an agreement between the government leaders and the opposition. The political career of Milei, an economist, was meteoric. He was elected federal deputy two years ago. The LLA bench was made up of just him and his elected vice-president, Victoria Villarruel. But Villarruel’s role in the direction of the Executive has been smaller than expected and she did not make any decisions about the formation of the new government.
Milei received advice from Macri, but it is clear that he did not accept many of them, such as the choices for his cabinet in the Casa Rosada and for the presidency of the Chamber. Macri said that Milei is “surrounded” by Peronists and this reality would not be positive. Milei had difficulties filling the presidency of the Central Bank – which in the campaign he said would be ‘dynamited’, but which now, with the ‘dollarization’ of the economy, seems to have been shelved, even if temporarily. Among the strong and decisive names of his administration are those of his sister, Karina, former owner of a tire store, who he calls ‘the’ boss and who saw in her brother the possibility of leading the country, Santiago Caputo, who organized his campaign for the Presidency, and Nicolás Posse, who will be his chief of staff. The triumvirate will be decisive in the country’s direction. Starting this Sunday, the legacy that the Milei government receives will not be easy (inflation of 142% in 12 months until October, poverty above 40% and a drop in exports). And the country’s main trade unions (CGT and CTA) together with the so-called piqueteros have already announced that they will hold protests if “acquired rights” are affected” (privatizations predicted by Milei). Allies of the future president (such as Macri) said that the trade unions , linked to Peronism, did not hold “a single protest”, despite the serious economic and social crisis, during the Alberto Fernández and Cristina Kirchner era.