President Javier Milei on Sunday vowed to "accelerate" his libertarian reforms after a crushing defeat in elections in Buenos Aires Province, ahead of next month’s highly anticipated midterms.
In a speech at La Libertad Avanza’s party bunker in Gonnet, La Plata, Milei acknowledged his party’s "clear defeat" by the centre-left Peronist movement.
"Let’s be clear: Politically speaking, we have suffered a clear defeat, and we must accept the result," Milei said at the beginning of his speech.
“If anyone wants to start rebuilding and moving forward, the first thing to do is accept the results. Today they have not been positive. We had an electoral setback and we have to accept it,” he said, after his party’s alliance in the region 33 percent of the vote against 47 percent for Peronism.
Milei has slashed public spending, particularly on the elderly, since taking office in December 2023 and faces nationwide midterm elections next month, which will define the make up of Congress for the rest of his first term.
With Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos notably absent, Milei took to the stage accompanied by several top officials and ministers, including Mariano Cúneo Libarona, Federico Sturzenegger, Luis Petri, Santiago Caputo, Mario Lugones, Patricia Bullrich, Karina Milei, Manuel Adorni, Eduardo ‘Lule’ Menem and Martín Menem.
A notable absentee was online influencer Daniel Parisini, popularly known as ‘Gordo Dan,’ following his recent row with Senator Luis Juez over the presidential veto of the Disability Emergency Law.
Milei claimed that Peronism had mobilised its “entire apparatus” for this election. “They have controlled it for more than 40 years and they do it very efficiently,” he said.
The President declared that “this is the floor for us and the ceiling for them. From this floor we will begin working towards the national legislative elections on 26 October,” Milei said in a brief six-minute speech.
“This will lead to a thorough analysis of the data, and that will naturally involve a deep self-criticism. The mistakes we have made will be corrected. There is no option to repeat errors. Looking to the future we will correct all our mistakes,” he stressed.
Despite the contrition, Milei vowed to stay the course with his economic programme.
“Beyond the electoral result, I want to tell all Argentines that the course for which we were elected in 2023 will not be altered, but doubled down on,” he emphasised.
“We will continue to defend fiscal balance tooth and nail, maintaining strict monetary restraint and the exchange rate system we committed to with Argentines,” said Milei.
“We will double efforts in our deregulation and Human Capital policy. Also in our Defence policy, and in fighting insecurity. We will also maintain reforms related to Argentina’s legal framework through the Justice Ministry and continue the strong work of Minister [Mario] Lugones” at the Health Ministry, said the President.
On foreign policy, Milei stated: “We will continue to uphold our position in the world. We will remain on the side of good and deepen our global ties. There will be no retreat, not a millimetre,” he reiterated.
“Not only do we confirm our path, we will accelerate and deepen it further,” declared Milei.
Quoting British politician Winston Churchill, the President said that “success is not final, failure is not fatal – It is the courage to continue that counts.”
“We will continue embracing the ideas of liberty and we will make Argentina great again,” he said.
– TIMES/NA
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