Miley’s 100 days as President of Argentina: What happened to the chainsaw?

After winning the election as an ‘outsider’ who promised to end “caste”, through aggressive speech and disruptive methods, Xavier Miley has completed 100 days in office this Tuesday, in which he Has maintained a confrontational narrative and lived up to its announcement. Economic adjustment.

The “first moderate libertarian president” in the world, as he likes to define himself, came to power on 10 December, winning the second round of elections in November with 56% support against the then-economy minister, Sergio Massa. .

Today, despite serious economic adjustments that hit the middle and lower classes (elimination of subsidies; devaluation of the official currency; loss of purchasing power of wages; hyperinflation), the ‘honeymoon’ continues… at least partially. By form.

According to the latest report from consulting firm D’Alessio Irol Berenzatean, Miley’s government’s approval rating stands at 43%, but disapproval has increased to 52%; Meanwhile, the Giacobbe and Associados study shows that the president has a positive image of 53.6% and a negative image of 42.1%.

fed up with democracy

His ‘rock star’ appearance, defiant style and management of social networks propelled him into Argentine politics and culminated with the presidency.

For Jorge Arias, an analyst at the consulting firm Pollilat, what happened in Argentina was another symptom of “dissatisfaction with democracy around the world.”

“That exhaustion, that exhaustion of discontent, people tried to express it with an ‘outsider’ who would come to put the political race on the edge of a chainsaw,” he tells EFE in reference to the object of which Miley makes her adjustments along the way.

But people “imagined themselves on the edge of the chainsaw’s handle” and, with a Miley adjustment, they verified that “it was on the edge of the chainsaw’s teeth,” he added.

However, despite calls for regional strikes and even a general strike on January 24 – the first in Argentina since May 2019 –, the expected social outbreak reminiscent of 2001 did not occur.

Arias identifies the libertarian adjustment with the model of the previous military dictatorship (1976–1983) and even suggests that “the same thing is happening to Militari” that happened when Jorge Videla came to power: “Some “At some point, people got scared because I didn’t think it would go this far economically or in terms of repressive policies.”

For the analyst, society is currently under ‘boiled frog syndrome’.

Crisis on Miley government

Miley’s star projects, the basis and starting point for the Argentine Law of Independence and the Order of Necessity and Urgency (DNU), have exposed the institutional weakness of La Libertad Avanza in their parliamentary process: 38 deputies, 7 senators and no (provincials). The governor, Miley’s far-right party, must negotiate agreements.

In addition, the executive must face the provincial governors, whom Miley called on 1 March for an Argentine “refoundation agreement”, which must be signed on 25 May under certain conditions. The recent ‘No’ to DNU has tightened the rope once again.

There were few changes in the cabinet due to several controversies in the Casa Rosada. However, the latest ‘victim’ of libertarian anger is Vice President Victoria Villarruel, who some accuse of having her own agenda and harming the party’s interests.

Argentina and the world

With Miley’s arrival, foreign policy has changed: after Argentina was not allowed to enter the BRICS group of emerging economies, it has chosen the United States and Israel as beacons.

Alejandro Raskovan, professor of international security at the School of Politics and Government at the National University of San Martín, considers the new diplomacy to be “negative, extremely irregular and conflictual.”

“Mismanagement of foreign policy is huge and will have to pay a huge price in future. In the near future, in commercial and political relations; And in the long term, in strategic issues,” he explained to EFE.

An “ideological” look at Israel amid the war in Gaza; Donald Trump’s “risky bet” on election victory; And for the expert, the “contempt” towards Brazil and other neighbors is a symbol of this new phase, in which the President has not visited the region.

Visits to the Davos Forum, Israel, Italy and the Vatican and his participation in the American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) have been his tours since December 10.

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