Javier Milei

During the 2010s, Milei achieved significant notoriety and public exposure in debates featured on Argentine television programmes characterized by insults to his rivals, foul language, and aggressive rhetoric when expressing and debating his ideals and beliefs, such as one with Buenos Aires chief of government Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. This led many commentators to label him antipolitical or disruptive. Ted Cruz, a United States senator, shared an interview between Viviana Canosa and Milei on Twitter, jokingly proposing to invite him to the 2024 Republican Party presidential debates.

In February 2017, Milei considered Domingo Cavallo the best minister of the economy of Argentina because he ended the 1989 hyperinflation and started reforms in the state. He blamed the 2001 crisis on the mistakes of the previous ministers of the economy that Cavallo could not fix in time. In November 2017, he caused a stir by declaring that "the main producer of Argentina's economists is a Marxist indoctrination center", referring to the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, leading to what he called "the ubiquitous proliferation of Keynesian brutes".

On 26 June 2018, Milei called journalist Teresita Frías a burro (literally "donkey", meaning "ignorant" or "uneducated" in Argentine slang) after she criticized his ideological views as totalitarian. As he refused to apologize, Milei was accused of exerting gender violence, and a local court mandated a psychological examination. Family and Gender judge Carmelo Paz forbade him from participating in public gatherings as a panelist or lecturer within the boundaries of the city of Metán, under the threat of legal action. In 2018, he made his acting debut in his play El consultorio de Milei with Claudio Rico and Diego Sucalesca. In 2019, Noticias named him one of the most influential people in Argentina. In 2020, he spoke in favor of protests against Alberto Fernández's government.

From 2020 to 2021, Milei was a member of Avanza Libertad (Advance, Freedom), a political party founded by José Luis Espert. During his campaign for the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Milei focused on Buenos Aires neighborhoods, where he took strolls and had talks with ordinary people. He pledged not to support any tax increases or new taxes. He ran under the slogan "I didn't come here to lead lambs, but to awaken lions", denouncing what he saw as a political caste, which he said was composed of "useless, parasitic politicians who have never worked". He called politicians "rats" and said they form "a parasitic caste" that thinks only about getting rich. He used phrases like "I'm here to kick these criminals out" and was especially supported by youth; he promoted his political views on television, radio, and YouTube. Additionally, Milei reconciled with his parents.

In July 2021, Milei established the coalition La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances), which secured third place in primary elections with 13.66 percent of the vote and third in the 2021 Argentine legislative election with 17 percent, and the libertarian coalition entered the Argentine Congress. They performed best in Córdoba and Santa Fe, the second- and third-most populated districts in the country. They performed well in Peronist strongholds in North Tucumán, Salta, La Rioja, San Juan, and Santa Cruz in Patagonia, which is considered the cradle of Kirchnerism.

Milei took office as president on 10 December 2023. In addition to a lack of support in Congress, an annual inflation rate approaching 200%, rising poverty, and a polarized population as challenges for his presidency. His foreign minister, Diana Mondino, announced that Argentina would not join the BRICS bloc of developing economies as planned in 2024. In his first speech as president, Milei warned of an economic shock, described as shock therapy in monetary terms, to be used to fix Argentina's financial woes. Following his inauguration, Milei saw his popularity rise. After the first governmental and economic reforms he and his ministers made, 53% of the Argentine people had a good or excellent opinion of him, according to a poll by Aresco on 15 December.

Milei's cabinet includes ministers from La Libertad Avanza and Juntos por el Cambio. In his first acts as president, Milei signed 13 decrees related to his cabinet members. He also lowered the number of ministries from 18 to 9. He appointed three secretariats with portfolio rank, including his sister, to the position of general secretary of the presidency after modifying the anti-nepotism law prohibiting the appointment of family members.

Milei signed Decree 70/2023, deregulating the Argentine economy. It is subject to approval by Congress, which called for an extraordinary session to be held in the first months of 2024. As part of the measure, an estimated 5,000 public sector employees will be affected. An Argentine court halted the labor reforms that were part of the decree. The CGT also organized a general strike against the proposed policies involving tens of thousands of Argentine workers on a 12-hour strike, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

In a major foreign policy reversal, the Milei administration shelved plans to join BRICS, in which Argentina was slated to participate starting on 1 January 2024. In March 2024, Argentina announced a charge against Venezuela before the International Civil Aviation Organization for allegedly violating the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro banned Argentine aircraft from its airspace earlier amid traded accusations with Milei. In the same month, Milei approved the transfer of two military Mi-171E helicopters to Ukraine, which it later received. On 18 April, Argentina formally submitted its request to NATO to become a global partner. Meanwhile, various anti-government protests took place from January to June over e.g. not increasing university funds and cuts to subsidies and social programmes. These protests occurred in the context of broad, general approval according to a poll published by Clarín on 7 June 2024, where most Argentines had a positive image of their president and an optimistic view of future economic measures. Under his watch, Argentina exited deficit for the first time in 123 years.

In 2024, Argentina saw major economic changes under President Javier Milei, focusing on austerity, deregulation, and reducing government spending. Inflation dropped from 211% in December 2023 to 193% in October 2024, with monthly inflation hitting a three-year low of 2.7% in October. Milei cut government jobs by 20%, shut down the tax agency (AFIP), and replaced it with a smaller one, saving billions. While poverty rose to 57% early in 2024, government estimates later projected a decline to 38.9% by Q3, with homelessness also decreasing. The economy shrank in early 2024 but grew 3.9% in Q4, helped by an 80.2% rebound in agriculture. The Argentine peso strengthened by 44.2% against the US dollar, boosting average wages in dollar terms to $990. Wages have mostly rebounded back to their November 2023 levels. Argentina paid off $4.3 billion in debt, and investor confidence soared, pushing bond prices higher. The country signed a free trade deal with the EU, and credit ratings improved. Forecasts predict economic growth of 3.5%–5.5% in 2025 as inflation stabilizes and investments increase. See also Shock therapy (economics) and Economy of Argentina

Argentina's annual inflation has fallen from 211% in December 2023 to 193% in October 2024. Monthly inflation slowed in February 2024 for a second consecutive month as Milei continued to push austerity and deregulation measures to revive the country's struggling economy. Argentina's monthly inflation slowed to 13.2% in February, compared to 20.6% in January and 25.5% in December. It reached a 3-year low of 2.7% in October 2024, with projections of further decreases. This decrease in the rate of inflation was driven primarily by the Government's elimination of deficit spending, leading to a decrease in monetary expansion. Decreases in the prices of some key items in the consumer price index such as electricity and rent have contributed as well.

According to a February 2024 study by the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, the poverty rate in January 2024 climbed to 57%, partly attributed to Milei's relaxing of controls on the exchange rate of Argentina's currency as it decreased the reported purchasing power of Argentinians. The move aligned the official and parallel exchange rates more closely. The official exchange rate is a government-set rate used in formal transactions and statistical calculations, such as trade and economic indicators. In contrast, the parallel exchange rate reflects market-driven values influenced by supply and demand and may differ due to factors like government controls or economic conditions. In March 2023, the parallel exchange rate of the peso was worth less than half of the official rate.

In 2024, the Argentinian Peso appreciated by 44.2% against the dollar, outperforming all other currencies. In contrast, the second best performing currency against the dollar is the Lira, which gained 21.2%, less than half of the Peso's increase. These actions aimed to stabilize an economy teetering on the brink of hyperinflation. The peso's strengthening doubled average wages in dollar terms to $990.

In 2024, wages in Argentina rose by 145.5%, outpacing the 117.8% inflation rate, according to INDEC. According to Nowcast, the year-over-year increase in total family income (ITF) reached 185.7%. However, wage growth varied by sector. Formal private sector salaries increased by 147.5%, slightly above inflation, while public sector wages rose by only 119.3%. The biggest jump was in the informal sector, where incomes surged 196.7%. Despite wage increases, real income recovery has been uneven. In October 2024, CEPA reported that private sector wages had nearly returned to November 2023 levels. However, public sector incomes remained 14.8% lower, and informal workers were still down 21.3%.

In October 2024, Milei announced the shutting down of 'Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos' (AFIP), the Argentine tax agency. According to Bloomberg Línea, 80 percent of AFIP's 2024 budget was allocated for salary payments. With the restructuring, a significant reduction in staff is anticipated, including the termination of over 3,000 AFIP agents who were "irregularly hired" by the previous administration. The changes will also slash "higher-level positions by 45 percent and lower-level positions by 30 percent," reducing senior officials' salaries. Overall, the measures are expected to "result in budgetary savings of around [6.4 million dollars] per year," the statement added. Reason magazine says, "It will be replaced by a newly formed agency, the Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero (ARCA), which will assume some of its functions". Meanwhile, Argentina's dollar-denominated international bonds reached new highs in March, with the 2029 and 2030 issues close to or at record-high prices. The bonds have rallied from lows that took the 2030 issue to 18.125 cents in July 2022, fueled by investor bets that the cabinet of Milei will be able to transform the Argentine economy successfully. Starting in 2011, the country consistently ran a budget deficit, averaging 4.03% of GDP. Milei achieved a budget surplus within the first few months in office by gutting chunks of the government structure and downsizing it drastically. This led to 20% of federal employees being laid off, saving the government nearly 20 billion dollars in expenses.

Rent has "dropped by 40 percent in real term, and the supply of rental properties in Buenos Aires has increased by over 300 percent..." as a result of Milei abolishing all forms of rent control.

In July 2024, Milei set up the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation to assist the government in matters related to deregulation, reform, and modernization of the Argentine state. It is headed by Federico Sturzenegger.

Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation is driving a major energy boom, making the country a net energy exporter for the first time in 14 years. With the world’s fourth-largest shale oil reserves and second largest shale gas deposits, Argentina is set to overtake Colombia as South America’s third-largest crude producer in 2025. Estimates suggest that Argentina's production in 2030 will scale to 1 million barrels per day as Milei's increases efforts in the extraction of oil and gas and reduces the existing capital controls, export taxes and regulations.

The opposition has criticised Milei's policies aimed at reversing hyperinflation for leading to an increase in poverty. During the first six months of his presidency, poverty rates increased by over 11%, from 41.7% to 52.9%, briefly peaking at 57.4% in the end of January 2024. In response, his government pointed out that poverty rates were already rising under previous administrations. According to a government report, poverty rates were projected at 38.9% during the third quarter of 2024. Furthermore, homelessness also seems to be declining, from being registered at 20.2% in the first quarter, 16% in the second, and projected at 8.6% in the third. This figure has been calculated by the Argentine government agency, the National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC). The IMF has significant influence within INDEC in order to avoid the fabrication of misleading statistics. Conversely, the poverty rate in the third quarter is estimated at 49.9% by the Catholic University of Argentina, and 36.8% by the Torcuato Di Tella University, though their estimate has been revised to 33.5% at the end of january 2025.

In June, during a meeting in Berlin, Milei and German chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed support for a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur. An agreement on the free trade deal was announced on 6 December 2024.

Under his leadership Argentina has successfully paid back $4.3 billion debts to bondholders.

In the first and second quarter of 2024, Argentina's GDP contracted by 2.1% and 1.8%. However, in the last quarter, it expanded 3.9% despite the significant austerity Implemented by the president. Conversely, agriculture rebounded dramatically from a severe drought, achieving an impressive growth rate of 80.2% as conditions improved. The economy of Argentina is projected to grow by 5.5% in 2025 by the BBVA, and 3.5% by Goldman Sach's as inflation stabilizes and investment starts pouring in due to the Milei's liberalisation of the economy. The financial improvements seen in the 3rd quarter of 2024 are complemented by society's renewed confidence in the government, creating a positive outlook for 2025.

Moody's have increased Argentina's rating from 'Ca' to 'Caa3' due to the reforms initiated by President Millei.

Milei made a radical change to Argentina's traditional foreign policy, aligning Argentina with the United States and Israel. Some analysts, like Ayelén Oliva of the BBC News or Walter Schmidt of Clarín, have compared his rapprochement to these countries to President Menem's similar policies in the 1990s.

Milei's views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine have distanced him from other right-wing figures. Milei supports Ukraine in its defense against Russia, and sent military helicopters to Ukraine during the first months of his presidency. Milei also cooled relations with Russia, and has considered sending more lethal aid to Ukraine.

During the Israel–Hamas war, Milei was a fierce supporter of Israel, vowing "unwavering" support to Israel. Among his measures in support of Israel, Milei declared Hamas as a terrorist organization in July 2024, and ordered the Argentine delegation at the UN to vote against the incoporation of the State of Palestine into the United Nations. Milei also made a state visit to Israel on 6 February 2024, where he visited a kibbutz that had been attacked by Hamas militants during the October 7 attacks.

In Latin America, Milei dismissed the results of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election as "fraudulent" and called on Maduro to resign. On 7 August 2024, Argentina became one of the first nations to recognize Edmundo González as the legitimate President of Venezuela. Milei also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the second inauguration of Donald Trump, and reaffirmed the intention to continue to pressure Maduro to exit power. As a result of the ensuing tensions, Venezuela ordered Milei's arrest and Argentina ordered Maduro's arrest.

Milei is also a strong opponent of the government of Cuba, calling President Miguel Díaz-Canel "despicable" and referring to Cuba as a "prison island". In October 2024, Milei fired foreign minister Diana Mondino after she failed to vote for the US embargo on Cuba at the UN, later assuring that Argentina condemns the "Cuban dictatoship". Milei has also condemned other leftist leaders in the region, calling Colombian President Gustavo Petro a "murderous terrorist" and Brazilian President Lula da Silva "corrupt" and "communist". In July 2024, Milei had a diplomatic confrontation with Bolivian President Luis Arce over the 2024 Bolivian coup attempt, which Milei dismissed as "false" and orchestrated by Arce himself.

Milei enjoys a friendly personal relationship with US President Donald Trump, and attended his second inauguration as President in January 2025 in Washington. Similar to Trump's first measures, Milei expressed intention to withdraw Argentina from the Paris Accord and the World Health Organization, saying that the government is studying the possibilities of suspending Argentina's memberships. Argentina subsequently announced, on 5 February, that it would withdraw from WHO, citing "deep differences" with the organization.

Milei's stances have been described in many different ways. He has been variously described as right-wing libertarian, ultraconservative, far-right, right-wing populist, and ultra-liberal. He has described himself as a philosophical anarcho-capitalist who is, for practical purposes, a minarchist. Milei advocates minimal government, focusing on justice and security, with a philosophy rooted in life, liberty, and property, and free market principles. He criticizes socialism and communism, advocating economic liberalization and restructuring government ministries. He opposes Argentina's Central Bank and current taxation policies.

Economically, Milei is influenced by the Austrian school and admires former president Carlos Menem's policies. He supports capitalism, viewing socialism as embodying envy and coercion. Milei proposes reducing government ministries and addressing economic challenges through spending cuts and fiscal reforms, criticizing previous administrations for excessive spending. He has praised the monetary policies of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and called her "a great leader".

Milei opposes abortion and euthanasia, is indifferent to same-sex marriage, and supports privatization in education and healthcare. He opposes mandatory vaccination and supports drug legalization and the legalization of prostitution. As a supporter of the right to keep and bear arms, Milei advocates for the deregulation of firearm ownership and proposes immigration restrictions for criminals. In foreign policy, Milei criticizes the IMF, opposes trade unions, aligns with anti-socialist figures of the Americas like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, and prioritizes alliances with the United States and Israel. He is cautious about relations with China and supports Ukraine against Russia in the latter's ongoing invasion. He opposes gender ideology and the transgender rights movement, calling advocates of gender ideology on children 'paedophiles'. He scrapped labor quotas designed to hire more transgender people in the government but has not criminalized transgender identity or gender clinics.

Milei advocates for dialogue with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute. In May 2024, he indicated his general acceptance of the Falkland Islands' status as a British Overseas Territory for the time being, accepting that it could take decades for Argentina to gain control over them. Though asserting that Argentine would not "relinquish our sovereignty" over the islands, Milei said he would not "seek conflict with the United Kingdom", preferring to resolve the dispute "within the framework of peace".

Milei has cultivated a complex and controversial public image marked by a blend of populist, right-wing libertarian, and conservative ideologies. Known for his ultra-liberal economic views and right-wing populist rhetoric, Milei's political stance has been subject to various interpretations by international media and political commentators. His rise to prominence during the 2023 presidential campaign, fueled by his primary win, sparked widespread attention, as did his central bank abolition and dollarization proposals.

Milei is known for his flamboyant personality, distinctive personal style, and strong media presence, which sometimes causes controversy, and his embrace of conspiracy theories, including the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory. He has also called the idea of climate change as an anthropogenic phenomenon "a socialist lie" and said that concerns about it are nothing more than "deceptions promoted by the neo-Marxists", as are those related to the attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. Echoing Donald Trump, he also claimed electoral fraud ahead of the 2023 presidential runoff. Like other right-wing populists, his rhetoric focuses on opposing what he calls "the political caste". Milei's party was criticized for including among his candidates alleged neo-Nazis and apologists for the National Reorganization Process. During his political career, Milei has also been involved in several investigations and has been accused of having a violent attitude toward journalists and critics, as well as of misogynistic behavior, including toward women in journalism.

Milei is a cosplayer with a superhero persona called "General AnCap". He also champions free love. In addition to being nicknamed el Peluca ("The Wig") for his eccentric hair, which has been compared to that of Trump and fellow right-wing populists Boris Johnson and Geert Wilders, Milei is known as el Loco ("The Madman"). News outlets have called him a "rock singer and tantric sex instructor", a "former tantric sex coach", and a "mixture of a messianic preacher and a rock star", and have likened him to both Trump and Wolverine. His admirers also call him "The Lion" because of the lyrics of the song "Panic Show" by rock band La Renga, which he sings in his public acts, coupled with his looks (in particular, his long hair). In 2024, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, stating that "with Milei in office, there will be no going back for Argentina".

The chainsaw has become an enduring and popular symbol associated with Milei (he has been called the "chainsaw candidate"), specifically symbolizing his "cutting" of regulations, bureaucracy, and red tape in Argentina. Some commentators have called Milei's economic policy of cutting regulations "chainsaw economics". Milei's supporters often carry chainsaws at rallies, symbolizing "his promise to cut down the size of the state". Milei is also well known for his phrase "¡Viva la libertad, carajo!", which is uttered most especially at the end of various speeches given by him.

In a Gallup poll on 10 December 2024, the approval ratings for Milei still hold to over 50%, with trust in the government having doubled since 2023. The perception of the economic situation and the standard of living has also improved, with 53% of Argentinians believing that their standard of living is improving, reaching the same high as 2015. 41% believe the economy of their city is also improving, reflecting a more optimistic view of Argentina. However, challenges still remain, and 69% of Argentinians believe it is a bad time to look for a job in this economy, while 35% do not have enough money for food, although these figures are a modest decrease from their two decade high in 2019. 59% of the richest 20%, but only 39% of the poorest 20% approve of Milei's governance, though the ratings are still higher across the socioeconomic board when compared to Milei's predecessor, Alberto Fernandez.

In February 2025, Milei publicly promoted the cryptocurrency $LIBRA, a meme coin, on his X account. The coin suffered a disastrous price drop shortly afterwards. Commentators have said that it could have been a rug pull. Insiders were reported to have profited $87 million while the resulting crash wiped out a wider drop in memecoin values including $500 million of losses for Trump-themed coins in 30 minutes. The resulting controversy was dubbed Cryptogate by the media.

In response, opposition politicians in Congress called for Milei's impeachment and a group led by Claudio Lozano [es], the leader of the opposition Popular Unity party, filed charges of fraud against Milei. Milei conceded that promoting the coin was a mistake on his part, noting that he did not participate in its development. Milei and his government have defended him and said that he regularly promotes private Argentine ventures and projects online on his X account to attract investments and create jobs; and will continue to do so. One government office described Milei as the scam's biggest victim and said that he was cheated. Because of the rug pull, Milei ordered the Anti-Corruption office to determine whether any improper conduct occurred by any member of the national government, including himself. Milei's lawyer stated that Milei's behaviour "does not constitute any crime, due to the lack of intention." Milei argued in an interview with TN that the "volatility traders" who lost funds understood the risks involved.This statement has been met with skepticism. Blockchain analysis firms, such as Bubblemaps, have reported unusual wallet activities surrounding the LIBRA token launch. Notably, 82% of the token's supply was concentrated in a few wallets, leading to concerns about potential market manipulation rather than organic volatility.

Milei is unmarried and, while he was a presidential candidate, said that, if elected, he would have his sister take the role of First Lady of Argentina. However, in December 2023, after winning the presidency, he announced that his government would not have a first lady. He called the role "anachronic" and declared that this decision was taken after discussions with both his sister and his girlriend, actress Fátima Flórez. Milei originally announced he was dating Fátima Florez in August 2023. Previously, he dated singer Daniela Mori [es].

While raised Catholic, Milei has been critical of the Catholic Church under Pope Francis, and his disparaging comments about Francis attracted criticism from Catholics. Milei also reads the Torah daily and has visited the grave of Orthodox rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Before November 2023, Milei said he had contemplated converting to Judaism but that observing the Jewish Sabbath could pose challenges if he became president. Upon being elected president, it was reported that Milei intended to convert to Judaism. Milei has confessed that he professes a "fanaticism" for Judaism.

Milei owns five English Mastiffs, with the progenitor being Conan, who died in 2017 after suffering from spinal cancer. He considers Conan his son and has named four of Conan's six clones, including one named after the original and another named Angelito, Milton (in honor of Milton Friedman), Murray (in honor of Murray Rothbard), Robert, and Lucas (both named after Robert Lucas Jr.). Milei said that he cloned Conan because he understands cloning as "a way of approaching eternity". To do this, he went to a clinic in the United States; the process cost him about $50,000. He has called his dogs his "four-legged children" and thanked them after his electoral win. Milei commented that one day there was a fire at his building while he was watching TV, which he realized because Conan left to the balcony. He escaped with him using the emergency ladder and took him to the vet; who gave oxygen to Milei because he was developing symptoms of cyanosis.

Milei is an avid fan of association football. Albeit having played for Chacarita Juniors in his early adulthood, Milei has stated to be a supporter of Boca Juniors; in a 2024 interview with Radio Mitre, Milei said, "I am a member and fan of Boca. If investment groups come and put a fortune for us to win all the time, where do I sign?" However, he has expressed criticism of the presidency of Juan Román Riquelme at the club since 2023, stating that his "management at Boca is a disaster" and referred to Riquelme as "a Kirchnerist running the club". Milei is a huge fan of the English rock band The Rolling Stones.

In December 2024, while holding the office of Head of State, Milei applied for and was granted Italian citizenship via jus sanguinis under the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.