Milei is Argentina’s most popular leader but disapproval grows

President Javier Milei’s approval rating has taken a hit nearly a year into office, but Argentines still prefer him over all of his political rivals.  

About 41 percent of Argentines have a positive image of Milei, putting him ahead of former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, with 38 percent, and Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof, with 36 percent, according to LatAm Pulse, a survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News. 

Milei also stands far above former president Mauricio Macri, who has a positive image for only 23 percent of the population, according to AtlasIntel. If those numbers hold, the libertarian leader could increase his party’s share of congressional seats in mid-term elections next year, when he’ll seek to win over voters from Macri’s centre-right PRO party. 

Yet Milei’s approval rating has been declining as his austerity measures bite: 51 percent of the population now disapproves of the way he’s governing the country, compared with 48 percent in March. 

A large number of Argentines are also negative about the country’s economic prospects, in contrast with investors’ more optimistic view of the country. About 78 percent of the respondents see Argentina’s economy as “bad” right now, and nearly two-thirds anticipate that their family’s financial situation will stay the same or get worse in the next six months.

More than half of the population expects their purchasing power to decline further in the next six months as inflation and unemployment remain among the country’s top concerns. 

Argentines also oppose Milei’s most radical stances on a number of issues, suggesting his uncompromising views may have a high political cost.

Most are against privatising all state-run companies as the president would like to do; those in favor of the price controls he’s scrapped outnumber those who prefer businesses to decide; and more than 60 percent of respondents say the government needs to improve its relationship with Brazil after the libertarian traded insults with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 

But Milei’s most powerful campaign symbol, the chainsaw, has won over citizens: 62 percent say they agree that it’s better to cut spending than raise taxes.