Javier Milei

"Milei" redirects here. For his sister, see Karina Milei. For similar names, see Miley (given name) and Miley (surname).

The Most Excellent Javier Milei
Milei in 2024
59th President of Argentina
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 December 2023
Vice President	Victoria Villarruel
Preceded by	Alberto Fernández
National Deputy
In office 10 December 2021 – 29 November 2023
Constituency	City of Buenos Aires
Personal details
Born	Javier Gerardo Milei (1970-10-22) 22 October 1970 Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Citizenship	Argentina Italy
Political party	La Libertad Avanza (since 2024)
Other political affiliations	Avanza Libertad (2020–2021) Libertarian Party (2019–2024)
Domestic partner(s)	Fátima Flórez (2023–2024) Yuyito González (2024–present)
Relatives	Karina Milei (sister)
Residence	Quinta presidencial de Olivos
Education	University of Belgrano Instituto de Desarrollo Económico y Social Torcuato di Tella University
Occupation	Politician economist author
School or tradition	Austrian School
Signature
Website	javiermilei.com

Javier Gerardo Milei (born 22 October 1970) is an Argentine economist and politician who has served as President of Argentina since 2023. He has taught university courses and written on various aspects of economics and politics and also hosted radio programmes on the subject. Milei's views distinguish him within mainstream Argentine politics.

In November 2021, Milei was elected to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, representing the City of Buenos Aires for La Libertad Avanza. As a national deputy, he limited his legislative activities to voting, focusing instead on critiquing what he sees as Argentina's political elite and its propensity for high government spending. Milei pledged not to raise taxes and donated his national deputy salary through a monthly raffle. He defeated the incumbent economy minister, Sergio Massa, in the second round of the 2023 general election, for the post of president, on a platform that held the ideological dominance of Peronism responsible for the ongoing Argentine monetary crisis.

Milei is known for his flamboyant personality, distinctive personal style, and strong media presence, including his catchphrase "¡Viva la libertad, carajo!". He has been described politically as a right-wing populist and right-wing libertarian who supports laissez-faire economics, aligning specifically with minarchist and anarcho-capitalist principles. Milei has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the country's fiscal and structural policies. On social issues, he opposes abortion and euthanasia and supports civilian ownership of firearms. He also supports freedom of choice on drug policy, sex work, and same-sex marriage. In foreign policy, he advocates closer relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel, and supporting Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion of the country.

Early life and education

Javier Gerardo Milei was born on 22 October 1970 in Palermo, Buenos Aires, to Norberto Milei and Alicia Lucich. He grew up in the neighborhood of Villa Devoto and later moved to the Sáenz Peña district. Alicia worked as a homemaker, and Norberto was a bus driver who later became a successful businessman.

Milei is of paternal Italian descent, tracing his heritage between the municipalities of Cosenza and Rossano in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. His paternal grandfather, Francesco "Ciccio" Milei, migrated to Argentina from Calabria in 1926. On his maternal side, he is of Croatian and Italian descent; his mother's Italian ancestors came from the municipality of San Severino in the Marche region of Central Italy. Through his Croatian maternal grandfather, Nicolás Mariano Lucich Bosikovic, he is related to Uruguayan television presenter Rodrigo Lussich, who stated their ancestors migrated from Croatia and settled throughout Argentina and Uruguay.

Furthermore, Milei revealed in 2024 that his grandfather, who had a great influence in his life, discovered that he was Jewish of matrilineal descent. His maternal grandfather had been a rabbi shortly before his death. His parents, according to Milei, beat and verbally abused him, causing him to not speak to them for a decade; he regarded them as dead. He was supported by his maternal grandmother and his younger sister Karina, with whom he shares a close bond with and whom he calls "the boss".

Javier Milei attended Catholic schools, including the secondary school Cardenal Copello. At school, he was nicknamed el Loco ("the madman") for his outbursts and aggressive rhetoric. In his late teens and early adulthood, Milei sang in the cover band Everest, which mostly played Rolling Stones covers. He also played goalkeeper for the Chacarita Juniors football team until 1989, when Argentina suffered from hyperinflation, and he committed to a career in economics.

The collapse of Argentina's exchange rate led to Milei becoming interested in economics during the early 1980s. Milei studied introductory economics and the law of supply and demand, which he thought seemed at odds with the ongoing hyperinflation; he said he saw people throwing "themselves on top of the merchandise" in a supermarket and began to study economics in more detail to understand it. Milei obtained an economics degree (licentiate) from the private University of Belgrano and two master's degrees from the Instituto de Desarrollo Económico y Social and the private Torcuato di Tella University.

Economics career

For over 20 years, Milei was a professor of macroeconomics, the economics of growth, microeconomics, and mathematics for economists. He specializes in economic growth and has taught several economic subjects in Argentine universities and abroad. He had written more than 50 academic papers by 2016.

By 2016, Milei had been the chief economist at Máxima AFJP, a private pension company; a head economist at Estudio Broda, a financial advising company; head economist of Corporación América; and a government consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. He was also a senior economist at HSBC Argentina. He served as chief economist at several national and international government public bodies. Since 2012, Milei has led the Economic Studies division at Fundación Acordar, a national think tank. He is also a member of the B20 and a member of the Economic Policy Group of the International Chamber of Commerce, an advisor to the G20. For 15 years, he worked at the private company Corporación América as the chief economist and financial adviser to Eduardo Eurnekian.

Milei is the author of several books, including El camino del libertario. He has a notable presence on television, with a 2018 ranking by Ejes showing him as the most interviewed economist on TV, at 235 interviews and 193,347 seconds. Milei also hosted his own radio show, Demoliendo mitos (Demolishing Myths), featuring regular appearances by Alberdian and right-wing libertarian personalities, including the economist and businessman Gustavo Lazzari, the lawyer Pablo Torres Barthe, and the political scientist María Zaldívar.

Early political career

Rise to prominence

Milei during an interview on Todo Noticias in 2019

During the 2010s, Milei achieved significant notoriety and public exposure in debates featured on Argentine television programmes characterized by insults to his rivals, foul language, and aggressive rhetoric when expressing and debating his ideals and beliefs, such as one with Buenos Aires chief of government Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. This led many commentators to label him antipolitical or disruptive. Ted Cruz, a United States senator, shared an interview between Viviana Canosa and Milei on Twitter, jokingly proposing to invite him to the 2024 Republican Party presidential debates.

In February 2017, Milei considered Domingo Cavallo the best minister of the economy of Argentina because he ended the 1989 hyperinflation and started reforms in the state. He blamed the 2001 crisis on the mistakes of the previous ministers of the economy that Cavallo could not fix in time. In November 2017, he caused a stir by declaring that "the main producer of Argentina's economists is a Marxist indoctrination center", referring to the Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, leading to what he called "the ubiquitous proliferation of Keynesian brutes".

On 26 June 2018, Milei called journalist Teresita Frías a burro (literally "donkey", meaning "ignorant" or "uneducated" in Argentine slang) after she criticized his ideological views as totalitarian. As he refused to apologize, Milei was accused of exerting gender violence, and a local court mandated a psychological examination. Family and Gender judge Carmelo Paz forbade him from participating in public gatherings as a panelist or lecturer within the boundaries of the city of Metán, under the threat of legal action. In 2018, he made his acting debut in his play El consultorio de Milei with Claudio Rico and Diego Sucalesca. In 2019, Noticias named him one of the most influential people in Argentina. In 2020, he spoke in favor of protests against Alberto Fernández's government.

2021 legislative campaign

From 2020 to 2021, Milei was a member of Avanza Libertad (Advance, Freedom), a political party founded by José Luis Espert. During his campaign for the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Milei focused on Buenos Aires neighborhoods, where he took strolls and had talks with ordinary people. He pledged not to support any tax increases or new taxes. He ran under the slogan "I didn't come here to lead lambs, but to awaken lions", denouncing what he saw as a political caste, which he said was composed of "useless, parasitic politicians who have never worked". He called politicians "rats" and said they form "a parasitic caste" that thinks only about getting rich. He used phrases like "I'm here to kick these criminals out" and was especially supported by youth; he promoted his political views on television, radio, and YouTube. Additionally, Milei reconciled with his parents.

In July 2021, Milei established the coalition La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances), which secured third place in primary elections with 13.66 percent of the vote and third in the 2021 Argentine legislative election with 17 percent, and the libertarian coalition entered the Argentine Congress. They performed best in Córdoba and Santa Fe, the second and third-most populated districts in the country. They performed well in Peronist strongholds in North Tucumán, Salta, La Rioja, San Juan, and Santa Cruz in Patagonia, which is considered the cradle of Kirchnerism.

National deputyship

Upon assuming office as a deputy, Milei fulfilled one of his campaign promises by raffling off his salary to a random person each month, aiming to "return money to the citizens". He described this monthly raffle, which is open to anyone, as a way to get rid of what he considered dirty money, saying: "The state is a criminal organization that finances itself through taxes levied on people by force. We are returning the money that the political caste stole". His monthly raffle for his salary has given away more than seven million pesos since his parliamentary election. As a national deputy, Milei had been present in the chamber 52 percent of the time as of April 2023. As of August 2023, he had not proposed any laws or joined any parliamentary commissions. One of his absences was particularly criticized by the Juntos por el Cambio opposition because it allowed the national government to raise taxes on plane tickets by a single vote.

In July 2023, Milei faced an investigation into the alleged selling of candidacies within La Libertad Avanza. Businessman Juan Carlos Blumberg said that the coalition "made politics a business", which prompted Milei to deny that there were paid candidates. Milei was also accused of having been funded and supported by Peronism. Journalist Juan Luis González said that Milei "allowed himself to be financed by provincial governments, received technical, logistical, and monetary aid from the Peronism that he claims to fight, threatened all those who wanted to open their mouths". Statements by the prosecutor, Ramiro González, did not provide concrete data about the allegations. While the investigation was still progressing as of July 2023, Milei dismissed it as a political operation to discredit him and demanded that Ramiro González be investigated, accusing him of damaging his image. The case was closed in March 2024, as the prosecutor could not find enough evidence to make a formal accusation.

2023 Argentine general election

2023 presidential campaign

Main article: Javier Milei 2023 presidential campaign

Milei posing with Villarruel in October 2022

A member of the Libertarian Party, Milei ran for president of Argentina as part of La Libertad Avanza. His running mate was Victoria Villarruel. His younger sister, Karina Milei, managed his campaign. In May 2022, Milei was rising in the polls. In June 2022, he officially launched his presidential campaign. In March 2023, a poll showed that 17 percent of Argentines would vote for him and that his political coalition would become the third parliamentary force in the Argentine Congress. His rhetoric was attractive to under-30 voters born during the 1998–2002 Argentine great depression and facing the still ongoing economic stagnation. His supporters include those who once voted for Kirchnerism but would now vote for Milei as a protest even if they did not support his economic ideas.

As inflation rose above 100 percent in May 2023, Milei's position in the polls rose. In June 2023, the markets welcomed Sergio Massa's presidential candidacy, as it polarized the election between the ruling party and Juntos por el Cambio, reducing the "Milei factor". Notable moments in Milei's campaign included a viral video of him tearing cards from a wallboard with the names of ministries that he wants to abolish and tossing them into the air as he said afuera ("out"), wielding a chainsaw on stage, smashing a piñata on air to symbolize his plans, calling Pope Francis "a filthy leftist", and praising American gangster Al Capone as "a hero".

Primary and general elections

Further information: 2023 Argentine general election and 2023 Argentine primary elections

First and second round results of the 2023 Argentine presidential election

In the August 2023 primary elections, which are seen as an indication of how citizens are likely to vote in the October 2023 general election, Milei emerged as the leading candidate, with 30 percent of the vote, ahead of the traditional Peronism–Kirchnerism and Macrism that dominated the country in the 2010s. Milei's victory was celebrated by right-wing figures, including Jair Bolsonaro, José Antonio Kast, Ted Cruz, and the Spanish conservative political party Vox. Polls had predicted that Massa would secure the most votes as a candidate in the primaries, with Juntos por el Cambio expected to be the most supported coalition overall; Milei polled at about 20 percent and was seen as an outsider candidate. Initially, for the first round of the general election, with the possibility of a runoff in November, Peronists saw Milei as a possible ally who would divide the votes of the Juntos por el Cambio coalition.

As a result of his strong performance in the primaries, Milei was considered the front-runner in the general election. His rise has been placed within the context of the last two presidencies of Mauricio Macri and Alberto Fernández. On 22 October, Milei advanced to the runoff, facing Massa in what polls showed as a tight race. In the runoff on 19 November, Milei defeated Massa in a landslide and a historic election. It was the highest vote percentage since Argentina's transition to democracy. Observers generally saw Milei's win as a sign more of discontent with the status quo than support for his politics, and his victory was likened to Donald Trump's in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro's in Brazil. Within the Argentine Congress, Milei's coalition achieved about 20% in the Chamber of Deputies and 10% in the Senate. In his victory speech, Milei pledged a new political era, vowing to begin "the reconstruction of Argentina" and end its economic decline.

Presidency (2023–present)

Main article: Presidency of Javier Milei

See also: History of Argentina § Milei administration (2023-)

Early actions

Alberto Fernández awarding Milei the presidential scepter during the inauguration on 10 December 2023

Milei took office as president on 10 December 2023. In addition to a lack of support in Congress, observers pointed to a 200% inflation rate, rising poverty, and a polarized population as challenges for his presidency. His foreign minister, Diana Mondino, announced that Argentina would not join the BRICS bloc of developing economies as planned in 2024. In his first speech as president, Milei warned of an economic shock, described as shock therapy in monetary terms, to be used to fix Argentina's financial woes. Following his inauguration, Milei saw his popularity rise. After the first governmental and economic reforms he and his ministers made, 53% of the Argentine people had a good or excellent opinion of him, according to a poll by Aresco on 15 December.

Milei's cabinet includes ministers from La Libertad Avanza and Juntos por el Cambio. In his first acts as president, Milei signed 13 decrees related to his cabinet members. He also lowered the number of ministries from 18 to 9. He appointed three secretariats with portfolio rank, including his sister, to the position of general secretary of the presidency after modifying the anti-nepotism law prohibiting the appointment of family members.

Milei signed Decree 70/2023, deregulating the Argentine economy. It is subject to approval by Congress, which called for an extraordinary session to be held in the first months of 2024. As part of the measure, an estimated 5,000 public sector employees will be affected. An Argentine court halted the labor reforms that were part of the decree. The CGT also organized a general strike against the proposed policies involving tens of thousands of Argentine workers on a 12-hour strike, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

Milei with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the 2024 G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro

In a major foreign policy reversal, the Milei administration shelved plans to join BRICS, in which Argentina was slated to participate starting on 1 January 2024. In March 2024, Argentina announced a charge against Venezuela before the International Civil Aviation Organization for allegedly violating the Convention on International Civil Aviation. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro banned Argentine aircraft from its airspace earlier amid traded accusations with Milei. In the same month, Milei approved the transfer of two military Mi-171E helicopters to Ukraine, which it later received. On 18 April, Argentina formally submitted its request to NATO to become a global partner. Meanwhile, various anti-government protests to place from January to June over e.g. not increasing university funds and cuts to subsidies and social programmes. These protests occurred in the context of broad, general approval according to a poll published by Clarín on 7 June 2024, where most Argentines had a positive image of their president and an optimistic view of future economic measures. Under his watch, Argentina exited deficit for the first time in 123 years.

Milei and other Mercosur leaders with EC President Ursula von der Leyen at the 65th Mercosur Summit in Montevideo, Uruguay, 5 December 2024

Economy

Argentina's annual inflation has fallen from 211% in December 2023 to 193% in October 2024. Monthly inflation slowed in February 2024 for a second consecutive month as Milei continued to push austerity and deregulation measures to revive the country's struggling economy. Argentina's monthly inflation slowed to 13.2% in February, compared to 20.6% in January and 25.5% in December. It reached a 3-year low of 2.7% in October 2024, with projections of further decreases. Starting in 2011, the country consistently ran a budget deficit, averaging 4.03% of GDP. Milei achieved a budget surplus within the first few months in office by gutting chunks of the government structure and downsizing it drastically. This led to 20% of federal employees being laid off, saving the government nearly 20 billion dollars in expenses.

This decrease in the rate of inflation was driven primarily by the Government's elimination of deficit spending, leading to a decrease in monetary expansion. Decreases in the prices of some key figures in the consumer price index such as electricity and rent have contributed as well. Rent, for example, has "dropped by 40 percent in real terms, and the supply of rental properties in Buenos Aires has increased by over 300 percent..." as a result of Milei abolishing all forms of rent control.

In October 2024, Milei announced the shutting down of 'Administración Federal de Ingresos Públicos' (AFIP), the Argentine tax agency. According to Bloomberg Línea, 80 percent of AFIP's 2024 budget was allocated for salary payments. With the restructuring, a significant reduction in staff is anticipated, including the termination of over 3,000 AFIP agents who were "irregularly hired" by the previous administration. The changes will also slash "higher-level positions by 45 percent and lower-level positions by 30 percent," reducing senior officials' salaries. Overall, the measures are expected to "result in budgetary savings of around [6.4 million dollars] per year," the statement added. Reason magazine says, "It will be replaced by a newly formed agency, the Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero (ARCA), which will assume some of its functions". Meanwhile, Argentina's dollar-denominated international bonds reached new highs in March, with the 2029 and 2030 issues close to or at record-high prices. The bonds have rallied from lows that took the 2030 issue to 18.125 cents in July 2022, fueled by investor bets that the cabinet of Milei will be able to transform the Argentine economy successfully.

According to a February 2024 study by the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, the poverty rate in January 2024 climbed to 57%, partly attributed to Milei's relaxing of controls on the exchange rate of Argentina's currency as it decreased the reported purchasing power of Argentinians. The move aligned the official and parallel exchange rates more closely. The official exchange rate is a government-set rate used in formal transactions and statistical calculations, such as trade and economic indicators. In contrast, the parallel exchange rate reflects market-driven values influenced by supply and demand and may differ due to factors like government controls or economic conditions. In March 2023, the parallel exchange rate of the peso was worth almost less than half of the official rate.

In July 2024, Milei set up the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation to assist the government in matters related to deregulation, reform, and modernization of the Argentine state. It is headed by Federico Sturzenegger.

The opposition has criticised Milei's policies aimed at reversing hyperinflation for leading to an increase in poverty. During the first six months of his presidency, poverty rates increased by over 11%, from 41.7% to 52.9%. In response, his government pointed out that poverty rates were already rising under previous administrations. According to a government report, poverty rates were projected at 38.9% during the third quarter of 2024. Furthermore, homelessness also seems to be declining, from being registered at 20.2% in the first quarter, 16% in the second, and projected at 8.6% in the third. this figure has been calculated by the Argentine government agency, the National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC). They have international oversight from the IMF in order to reduce bias and fabrication, lending credibility towards the calculation.

In June, during a meeting in Berlin, Milei and German chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed support for a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur. an agreement on the free trade deal was announced on 6 December 2024.

The situation in Argentina seems to be improving, even for the common people. In a Gallup poll on the 10th of December, 2024, the approval ratings for Milei still hold to over 50%, with trust in the government having doubled since 2023. The perception of improvement in standard of living has also seen a marked improvement, with 53% of Argentinians believing that their standard of living is improving, reaching the same high as 2015. 41% believe the economy of their city is also improving. However, challenges still remain, and 69% of Argentinians believe its a bad time to look for a job in this economy, while 35% don't have enough money for food, although these figures are a modest decrease from their 2 decade high in 2019. 59% of the richest 20%, but 39% of the poorest 20% approve of Milei's governance, though the ratings are still higher across the socioeconomic board when compared to Milei's predecessor, Alberto Fernandez.

Political positions

Main article: Political positions of Javier Milei

Milei and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Buenos Aires, 10 December 2023

Milei and Israeli President Isaac Herzog shake hands in Beit HaNassi in Jerusalem on 6 February 2024.

Milei's stances have been described in many different ways. He has been variously described as right-wing libertarian, ultraconservative, far-right, right-wing populist, and ultra-liberal. In reality, he is a philosophical anarcho-capitalist who is, for practical purposes, a minarchist, Milei advocates minimal government, focusing on justice and security, with a philosophy rooted in life, liberty, and property, and free market principles. He criticizes socialism and communism, advocating economic liberalization and restructuring government ministries. He opposes Argentina's Central Bank and current taxation policies.

Economically, Milei is influenced by the Austrian school and admires former president Carlos Menem's policies. He supports capitalism, viewing socialism as embodying envy and coercion. Milei proposes reducing government ministries and addressing economic challenges through spending cuts and fiscal reforms, criticizing previous administrations for excessive spending. He has praised the monetary policies of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and called her "a great leader".

Milei opposes abortion and euthanasia, is indifferent to same-sex marriage, and supports privatization in education and healthcare. He opposes mandatory vaccination and supports drug legalization and the legalization of prostitution. As a supporter of the right to keep and bear arms, Milei advocates for the deregulation of firearm ownership and proposes immigration restrictions for criminals. In foreign policy, Milei criticizes the IMF, opposes trade unions, aligns with anti-socialist figures of the Americas like Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, and prioritizes alliances with the United States and Israel. He is cautious about relations with China and supports Ukraine against Russia in the latter's ongoing invasion.

Milei advocates for dialogue with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute. In May 2024, he indicated his general acceptance of the Falkland Islands' status as a British Overseas Territory for the time being, accepting that it could take decades for Argentina to gain control over them. Though asserting that Argentine would not "relinquish our sovereignty" over the islands, Milei said he would not "seek conflict with the United Kingdom", preferring to resolve the dispute "within the framework of peace".

Public image

Main article: Public image of Javier Milei

Milei has cultivated a complex and controversial public image marked by a blend of populist, right-wing libertarian, and conservative ideologies. Known for his ultra-liberal economic views and right-wing populist rhetoric, Milei's political stance has been subject to various interpretations by international media and political commentators. His rise to prominence during the 2023 presidential campaign, fueled by his primary win, sparked widespread attention, as did his central bank abolition and dollarization proposals.

Milei with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

Milei is known for his flamboyant personality, distinctive personal style, and strong media presence, which sometimes causes controversy, and his embrace of conspiracy theories, including the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory. He has also called the idea of climate change as an anthropogenic phenomenon "a socialist lie" and said that concerns about it are nothing more than "deceptions promoted by the neo-Marxists", as are those related to the attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election. Echoing Donald Trump, he also claimed electoral fraud ahead of the 2023 presidential runoff. Like other right-wing populists, his rhetoric focuses on opposing what he calls "the political caste". Milei's party was criticized for including among his candidates alleged neo-Nazis and apologists for the National Reorganization Process. During his political career, Milei has also been involved in several investigations and has been accused of having a violent attitude toward journalists and critics, as well as of misogynistic behavior, including toward women in journalism.

Milei is a cosplayer with a superhero persona called "General AnCap". He also champions free love. In addition to being nicknamed el Peluca ("The Wig") for his eccentric hair, which has been compared to that of Trump and fellow right-wing populists Boris Johnson and Geert Wilders, Milei is known as el Loco ("The Crazy One"). News outlets have called him a "rock singer and tantric sex instructor", a "former tantric sex coach", and a "mixture of a messianic preacher and a rock star", and have likened him to both Trump and Wolverine. His admirers also call him "The Lion" because of the lyrics of the song "Panic Show" by rock band La Renga, which he sings in his public acts, coupled with his looks (in particular, his long hair). In 2024, Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world, stating that "with Milei in office, there will be no going back for Argentina".

The chainsaw has become an enduring and popular symbol associated with Milei (he has been called the "chainsaw candidate"), specifically symbolizing his "cutting" of regulations, bureaucracy, and red tape in Argentina. Some commentators have called Milei's economic policy of cutting regulations "chainsaw economics". Milei's supporters often carry chainsaws at rallies, symbolizing "his promise to cut down the size of the state". Milei is also well known for his phrase "¡Viva la libertad, carajo!", which is uttered most especially at the end of various speeches given by him.

Personal life

Milei (center) praying in the grave of Menachem Mendel Schneerson on 27 November 2023

Milei is unmarried and said that, if elected president, he would have his sister take the role of First Lady of Argentina. In August 2023, Milei announced that he was dating actress Fátima Flórez. Previously, he dated singer Daniela Mori.

While raised Catholic, Milei has been critical of the Catholic Church under Pope Francis, and his disparaging comments about Francis attracted criticism from Catholics. Milei also reads the Torah daily and has visited the grave of Orthodox rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Before November 2023, Milei said he had contemplated converting to Judaism but that observing the Jewish Sabbath could pose challenges if he became president. Upon being elected president, it was reported that Milei intended to convert to Judaism.

Milei owns five English Mastiffs, with the progenitor being Conan, who died in 2017 after suffering from spinal cancer. He considers Conan his son and has named four of Conan's six clones, including one named after the original and another named Angelito, Milton (in honor of Milton Friedman), Murray (in honor of Murray Rothbard), Robert, and Lucas (both named after Robert Lucas Jr.). Milei said that he cloned Conan because he understands cloning as "a way of approaching eternity". To do this, he went to a clinic in the United States; the process cost him about $50,000. He has called his dogs his "four-legged children" and thanked them after his electoral win. Milei has also stated that he has ornithophobia.

Milei is an avid fan of association football. Albeit having played for Chacarita Juniors in his early adulthood, Milei has stated to be a supporter of Boca Juniors; in a 2024 interview with Radio Mitre, Milei said, "I am a member and fan of Boca. If investment groups come and put a fortune for us to win all the time, where do I sign?" However, he has expressed criticism of the presidency of Juan Román Riquelme at the club since 2023, stating that his "management at Boca is a disaster" and referred to Riquelme as "a Kirchnerist running the club".

In December 2024, Milei applied for and was granted Italian citizenship via jus sanguinis under the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which was met with public criticism.

Electoral history

Executive

Electoral history of Victoria Villarruel

Election	Office	List		Votes			Result	Ref.
				Total	%	P.
2023 1-R	President of Argentina		La Libertad Avanza	8,034,990	29.99%	2nd	→ Round 2
2023 2-R				14,476,462	55.69%	1st	Elected

Legislative

Electoral history of Javier Milei

Election	Office	List		No.	District	Votes			Result	Ref.
						Total	%	P.
2021	National Deputy		La Libertad Avanza	1	City of Buenos Aires	313,808	17.04%	3rd	Elected

Radio

Year	Programme	Radio	Ref.
2017–present	Demoliendo mitos (Demolishing Myths)	Conexión Abierta

Publications

Books

• — (2014). Lecturas de Economía en tiempos de Kirchnerismo [Economic Readings in Times of Kirchnerism] (in Spanish). Grupo Unión. ISBN 978-987-3773-00-6.
• — (2014). Política Económica Contrarreloj [Economic Politics Against the Clock] (in Spanish). Ediciones Barbarroja. ISBN 978-987-45133-2-8.
• — (2015). El retorno al sendero de la decadencia Argentina [The Return to the Road of Argentine Decadence] (in Spanish). Grupo Unión. ISBN 978-987-3677-18-2.
• —; Giacomini, Diego (2016). Maquinita, Infleta y Devaluta [Money Printer, Inflation and Devaluation] (in Spanish). Grupo Unión. ISBN 978-987-3677-44-1.
• — (2017). Otra vez sopa: maquinita, infleta y devaluta: ensayos de economía monetaria para el caso argentino [Soup Again: Money Printer, Inflation, and Devaluation. Monetary Economy Essays for the Argentine Case] (in Spanish). Ediciones B, Grupo Zeta. ISBN 978-987-627-814-0.
• — (2018). Desenmascarando la mentira Keynesiana. Keynes, Friedman y el triunfo de la Escuela Austriaca [Unmasking the Keynesian Lie: Keynes, Friedman, and the Triumph of the Austrian School] (in Spanish). Grupo Unión. ISBN 978-84-7209-727-8.
• —; Giacomini, Diego (2019). Libertad, libertad, libertad [Liberty, Liberty, Liberty] (in Spanish). Galerna. ISBN 978-950-556-739-3.
• — (2020). Pandenomics. La economía que viene en tiempos de megarrecesión, inflación y crisis global [Pandenomics: The Coming Economy in Times of Mega Recession, Inflation, and Global Crisis] (in Spanish). Galerna. ISBN 978-950-556-779-9.
• — (2022). El camino del libertario [The Path of the Libertarian] (in Spanish). Planeta Argentina. ISBN 978-950-49-7456-7.
• — (2023). El fin de la inflación. Eliminar el Banco Central, terminar con la estafa del impuesto inflacionario y volver a ser un país en serio [The End of Inflation: Eliminate the Central Bank, End the Inflation Tax Scam, and Return to Being a Serious Country] (in Spanish). Planeta Argentina. ISBN 978-950-498-171-8.
• — (2024). Capitalismo, socialismo y la trampa neoclásica [Capitalism, socialism and the neoclassical trap] (in Spanish). Planeta Argentina. ISBN 978-847-20-9916-6.

Journal articles

• — (January 2004). "Real Exchange Rate Targeting. ¿Trilema monetario o control de capitales? La política fiscal" [Real Exchange Rate Targeting: Monetary Trilemma or Capital Control? Tax Policy]. Revista de Economía y Estadística (in Spanish). 42 (2). National University of Córdoba, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Institute of Economics and Finance: 63–87. doi:10.55444/2451.7321.2004.v42.n2.3807. ISSN 0034-8066. S2CID 154116264.
• — (2014). "De los picapiedras a los supersónicos. Maravillas del progreso tecnológico con convergencia" [From the Flintstones to the Jetsons: Wonders of Technological Progress with Convergence]. Revista Actualidad Económica (in Spanish) (83). National University of Córdoba, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Institute of Economics and Finance: 5–18.
• —; with Diego Giacomini (2017). "Ensayos monetarios para economías Abiertas. El caso argentino" [Monetary Essays for Open Economies: The Argentine Case]. Revista Actualidad Económica (in Spanish) (91). National University of Córdoba, Faculty of Economic Sciences, Institute of Economics and Finance: 5–24.

Further reading

• Ravecca, Paulo; Schenck, Marcela; Forteza, Diego; Fonseca, Bruno (2022). "Interseccionalidad de derecha e ideología de género en América Latina" [Right-wing Intersectionality and Gender Ideology in Latin America]. Analecta política (in Spanish). 12 (22): 1–29. doi:10.18566/apolit.v12n22.a07. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.

External links

•  Spanish Wikiquote has quotations related to: Javier Milei
• Javier Milei's channel on YouTube
• Javier Milei's Government Plan Unveiled (in English)
• Bases de acción política y plataform electoral nacionale 2023 (in Spanish)
• Javier Milei – biography by the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (in Spanish)