MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei calls Sánchez an “unpresentable dictator” in Madrid in the middle of Spain’s election campaign

Milei explained why he has not met Sánchez on any of his seven visits to Spain as head of state: “I’m not going to see a criminal thief like Pedro Sánchez”

Argentine President Javier Milei on Wednesday called Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez an “unpresentable dictator”, “corrupt” and “authoritarian”, and urged Spaniards to “kick the socialists out” of power, at his first public event in Madrid, just over a month before the snap general election on November 29.

At a breakfast organised by the Nueva Economía Forum, Milei explained why he has not met Sánchez on any of his seven visits to Spain as head of state: “I’m not going to see a criminal thief like Pedro Sánchez because I’m not willing to have to sew my pockets shut so I don’t get robbed.” He added: “Wherever there is an enemy of freedom, I will go and confront him.” Of Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, whom he will meet in the afternoon, and Vox leader Santiago Abascal, he said they “have healthy and positive ideas to lift Spain out of decline”.

The Socialist Party greeted him with a banner on the façade of its headquarters: “Hello Milei, we lefties welcome you to Spain, the fastest-growing country in Europe.” Sánchez released a video in which he says “I am a leftie”, in a reference to the term Milei uses to insult his left-wing opponents. In May 2024, Spain withdrew its ambassador from Buenos Aires after remarks by Milei about Sánchez’s wife.

The Argentine president linked his trip to his campaign for re-election in 2027. “If we are re-elected, the following four years will be unforgettable,” he said, inviting Spaniards to invest and settle in Argentina, which he said would become “the promised land where good business flows”. He also called the Argentine newspaper Clarín “corrupt” and its journalists “serial liars”.

Milei attributed not being received by King Felipe VI to scheduling problems. According to Royal Household sources quoted by El País, a meeting with the monarch must necessarily be accompanied by one with the prime minister. The Argentine president did not say whether he will attend the Ibero-American Summit, to be held in Madrid on November 4 and 5.