MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina: Milei and Bullrich share common values ahead of 2023 elections

Milei dubbed the “soft” side of JxC as “Kirchnerism reloaded”

Argentine Liberal Deputy Javier Milei admitted he would gladly face PRO Chairwoman (and Presidential hopeful) Patricia Bullrich in next year's primary elections and if he loses he would agree to serve as Minister of Economy under her.

However, Milei insisted he would never be able to reach an agreement with the other members of the Together for Change (Juntos por el Cambio - JxC) coalition, such as the Radical Civic Union and Elisa Carrio's Coalición Cívica. “I am not willing to be part of that failure; of the K's partners,” Milei stressed.

“Together for Change as it exists today is unfeasible because the radicals are the socialist international, the Civic Coalition is a left-wing detachment of radicalism, and the soft wing of Together is also a problem because it recites the ideas that have condemned us to failure and with the fatal arrogance of believing that they are smarter and can do it well,” he went on.

“I am to accompany in a structure outside Juntos por el Cambio: without the radicals, without the Coalición Cívica, without the lukewarm, bitter, inoperative and impoverishing popcorn,” said Milei, who defined the soft side of JxC as “kirchneristas reloaded” but worse. “At least the kirchneristas are brutes, these people instead are going to do damage in an efficient way, which is more problematic.”

“I am not willing to be part of a new failure that brings the kirchneristas back; I do not want to make Máximo Kirchner President in 2027,” Milei warned. But “there is a wing of Juntos por el Cambio with which I get along very well and I can work.”

“I work for a project in which I could be the president,” Milei insisted while admitting that he would welcome JxC's hardliners and hold primary elections with them. “If they win, we accompany them,” Milei conceded.

But this scenario would have to be “outside the structure of Juntos por el Cambio,” Milei explained.

Meanwhile, Bullrich did not rule out some kind of alliance in 2023 with Milei and suggested an agreement with him could be feasible in case of a presidential runoff. She also spoke about offering him a place in her administration if JxC wins the elections.

However, Bullrich said that “I do not see him in the Ministry of Economy, we would have to think about” where else he can be appointed.

Bullrich has thus distanced herself from other JxC leaders who oppose Milei's participation in the alliance.

“If Milei has 10 or 12 deputies, some senator, and we can work with young people who have the idea of freedom and support a change like the one we are proposing, it would be important and interesting” to talk with him.