MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei's LLA scores landslide, surprising midterm victory

Francos highlighted the single paper ballot

Argentine President Javier Milei's La Libertad Avanza (LLA) on Sunday recorded a surprise victory in the province of Buenos Aires and secured over 40% of the vote nationwide to become the strongest force in the Lower House after Dec. 10.

This result will shield the ruling party from Congressional overrulings to Milei's vetoes, in addition to an endorsement of the head of State's emergency decrees, as the “chainsaw” reforms gain momentum.

LLA had lost to Peronism/Kirchnerism by over 14 percentage points less than two months ago in the provincial elections in Buenos Aires.

Milei is now set to begin the second half of his mandate with substantially increased legislative support despite recent corruption scandals involving his sister and presidential Secretary Karina Milei, as well as various party candidates. The president now faces a further reshuffle of his cabinet, following changes in the Foreign Affairs and Justice portfolios.

Rumors have mounted regarding the possible departure of Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos, among other strong figures within the Libertarian Administration, while adviser Santiago Caputo -not to be mistaken for Economy Minister Luis Toto Caputo- is expected to assume an official role.

Milei's camp attributed Sunday's victory to recapturing the “epic” spirit of 2023, increasing territorial outreach, revitalizing the connection with young voters through the Forces of Heaven movement, and shifting the public narrative to show greater empathy for citizens bearing the brunt of economic austerity.

For the Peronist opposition, defeat was unexpected. Although former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (CFK) had initially opposed decoupling the Buenos Aires provincial election from the national contest, even the most pessimistic observers did not foresee such a wide national margin, much less a defeat in Buenos Aires Province. Analysts suggest the result will severely test the unity of the Peronist movement.

Meanwhile, “Provincias Unidas” (United Provinces), the political bloc that sought to break polarization and present a third-way alternative for the 2027 presidential election, suffered a failed debut at the polls, evidenced by defeats for key figures such as Juan Schiaretti in Córdoba, Maximiliano Pullaro in Santa Fe, and Ignacio Torres in Chubut.

In the end, LLA was the most voted party nationwide with 40.84%, followed by the various Peronist denominations (Fuerza Patria being the most common one), which together amassed 31.67%, prevailing in Formosa, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca, San Juan, Santa Cruz, and La Pampa, although by smaller margins than expected. Additionally, turnout was confirmed to have reached nearly 68%.

“The implementation of the single paper ballot, with its efficiency, speed, and security, is a historic event,” Francos said when announcing the results at 9.20 pm, with almost 90% of the votes counted.