The Argentinian electorate is already at the polls for the run-off election between populist Javier Milei and the country’s current economy minister, Sergio Massa. The results are due to be announced on Sunday evening, with the winner taking office on December 10.
Milei, the self-described “anarcho-capitalist” and admirer of former President Donald Trump, maintains a slight advantage going into the election, with three out of four polls showing him in the lead. Yet, most commentators suggest the election is too close to call.
Massa won the country’s first presidential election last month with around 37 percent of the vote to Milei’s 30 percent. But at the time, the right-wing vote was split between Milei and establishment candidate Patricia Bullrich, who received 23.8 percent. The two sides have, however, reconciled after Bullrich publicly endorsed Milei for the presidency within days of the October election.
Coverage has been dominated by outsider candidate Milei, who received international attention after he unexpectedly triumphed in the primaries in August.
He has based his campaign on more libertarian and non-interventionist economics, increased gun rights, calling for the removal of sex education from schools – which he suggests is a ploy to destroy the family – as well as vowing to bring about “an end to the parasitic, corrupt and useless political caste that exists in” Argentina.
Notably, Milei has warned supporters of electoral “fraudsters” stealing and damaging ballots before this weekend’s run-off, with his campaign manager arguing there have been a number of complaints made by voters. He also claims he was robbed of more than one million votes in August.
“The election will mark a profound rupture in the system of political representation in Argentina,” stated the director of the political consultancy Observatorio Electoral, Julio Burdman. “I think all the political forces as we have known them are going to be transformed.”
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