MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei's party dealt heavy blow in province of Buenos Aires

Milei admitted mistakes were made, but will not change course

Argentine President Javier Milei's ruling La Libertad Avanza (LLA) suffered a severe blow on Sunday in the midterm elections in the province of Buenos Aires at the hands of arch-rivals Fuerza Patria, the name under which Kirchnerism-Peronism entered the contest. Turnout stood at 63%.

With 96% of the votes counted, Fuerza Patria received 47.23% compared to LLA's 33.73%, a difference of more than 13 points. While President Milei acknowledged the defeat, he stated his intention to continue with his administration's current policies.

The province of Buenos Aires is the country's largest district, accounting for around 40% of the constituency at a national level, which makes Governor Axel Kicillof's 2027 presidential bid a boost.

Behind the two major parties came Somos Buenos Aires with around 5.41%, and the Left and Workers' Front - Unity with 4.37%. Other districts, such as the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, will hold their midterm election on Oct. 26.

“We have suffered an electoral setback and we must accept it,” said Milei at the LLA Campaign headquarters. “They have put all the Peronist apparatus that they have been managing for more than 40 years into this election, and they do so very efficiently. This was going to represent the floor for us and the ceiling for them,” he insisted.

“We will begin working toward the national elections on Oct. 26. Naturally, this will lead to a thorough analysis of the data, and that will lead to a profound self-criticism where we will correct those things we have done wrong. There is no option to repeat the mistakes; looking ahead, we will correct them,” he further reckoned.

However, he pledged not to change the course of his administration: “It will not change, but rather it will be redoubled. We will continue to defend fiscal balance tooth and nail, we will maintain the exchange rate system, we will continue to redouble our efforts in our deregulation policy, and we will improve our human capital policy.”

“We will continue to be on the side of good in the world. There will be no retreat from the government's policy. Not only will the course be ratified, but it will be deepened and accelerated a bit more. We are not willing to give up our model that lifted 12 million people out of poverty,” the Libertarian leader argued.

“As Churchill said, 'Success is not final, failure is not fatal, what counts is the courage to continue.' And we are going to continue with the ideas of freedom because we are going to make Argentina great again. As we said during the campaign, either freedom advances or Argentina regresses, and our commitment to making Argentina great again is non-negotiable. Tomorrow, everyone gets to work because we have to move this country forward,” the president also pointed out.

On the other hand, former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) mocked Milei from her house arrest, telling him he needed to “get out of your bubble, brother,” while claiming that LLA's mistakes did not come cheap. “Did you see Milei?...”

“Pointing the finger... at the disabled, while your sister collects 3% kickbacks on their medications, is lethal,” CFK highlighted about the ongoing National Disability Agency (Andis) scandal. ”I'd better not tell you how the rest (of those who still have jobs) are doing... Indebted for food, rent, expenses, or medicine, and on top of that with maxed-out credit cards,“ she added.

”Best regards from San José 1111,” she also posted from that address in Buenos Aires City, where she is serving her sentence for corruption.