MILEI’S PURPLE PATCH
President Javier Milei promised “the most reform-minded Congress in Argentine history” following a resounding triumph in last Sunday’s midterms after a generally negative string of results in the advanced provincial elections this year, culminating in a crushing defeat by a humiliating margin of almost 14 percent in Buenos Aires Province last month. The ruling La Libertad Avanza (LLA) picked up 40.74 percent of the vote in the election of 127 new deputies, way ahead of the 24.5 percent for Fuerza Patria (although rising to 31.66 when including allied Peronist lists with other labels). Milei did even better in the Senate, winning in six of the eight districts and increasing his caucus from seven to 20 seats to come within 17 of quorum. The sweetest win was in the scene of the previous humiliation – Buenos Aires Province where the LLA list under Diego Santilli (who afterwards celebrated by shaving off his mop of red hair in compliance with a pre-electoral bet) squeezed ahead of Jorge Taiana’s Fuerza Patria by half a point (41.4 to 40.9 percent) in a major upset with Governor Axel Kicillof widely criticised internally for having shot his bolt by advancing the provincial elections.
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