MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Buenos Aires province elections could tip the balance of Milei's future

Espert represents Milei's hopes in the country's largest district

The Argentine province of Buenos Aires heads into Sunday's midterm elections as a beacon of what may happen in the rest of the country later this year, which could decide President Javier Milei's future, particularly following recent significant setbacks in the Upper House.

After a campaign mounted mostly on the fear that La Libertad Avanza's loss would result in a potential return of Kirchnerism to power, Milei's ruling party faces divided odds in a district of some 17 million voters, representing around 40% of the country's total.

In addition, no Federal Senate seats are at stake since terms span six years, and Buenos Aires last renewed its representation in 2021.

Hence, Milei can only hope to boost his party's presence in the House of Deputies, with Economist José Luis Espert topping LLA's list of candidates. Out of the country's 257 representatives, 130 are to be renewed this year, with 35 of them from the Province of Buenos Aires.

Recent surveys showed that, if combined with former President Mauricio Macri's PRO, LLA would win in voting intention, followed by Kirchnerism (Peronism). But the political force governing the province since 1989 - except for a hiatus between 2015 and 20019 - has a 33.2% support on its own, edging the conservative options' separate bids.