The great winner of the Argentine primaries held last Sunday (13) was economist Javier Milei, who leads the Freedom Advances coalition. Milei, graduated in economics from the University of Belgrano, is the favorite to take the elections on October 22, when the Argentine population will vote to definitively choose the new head of state of the neighboring country.
Having her roots in libertarian thought, Milei has already revealed in interviews her admiration and her desire to reach the anarcho-capitalist system.
Despite this desire, in an interview given to the Ecuadorian newspaper La Hora in 2022, Milei acknowledged that the complete transition to an anarcho-capitalist system is not feasible in the short term. Therefore, he believes that the battle to achieve a freer society must be waged within the current political system in force, starting now.
“In real life, you still can’t get rid of the state and professional politicians like today. The only way to fight this battle is within the system, not outside it, which is why I got into politics,” he said.
Both in libertarian thought and in anarcho-capitalism, the central idea defended is the same: the reduction of the State or even its extinction and the promotion of individual freedom and private property as the main guide for the growth and economic and social development of a society.
Based on this premise, Milei’s political and economic thinking, linked to libertarianism, has a strong presence in his proposals for an eventual government in Argentina. His government plan, published by the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, makes clear his intention to reduce the weight, expenses and bureaucracy of the Argentine State.
The main similarities between Milei’s proposals and the principles of libertarian thought include the emphatic defense of the free market as the basis for the organization of society, the rejection of state intervention in the economy and in the lives of citizens, the valuation of private property and individual rights, confidence in voluntary cooperation and self-regulation of markets to solve social challenges, and a preference for a strong and stable currency that is not subject to government manipulation.
The main point of Milei’s plan is the economy, a field that will be the great challenge for anyone who is the next ruler of Argentina. The Peronist Alberto Fernández, who is stepping down from power, will hand over a country plunged into a serious economic crisis, which affects the lives of citizens on a daily basis.
To try to solve this problem, Milei proposes reforms that affect the monetary and tax field. His main proposal is the radical reduction of the weight of the State, through privatizations, cuts in excessive expenses and the dollarization of Argentina. For him, the dollarization of the economy should serve as a way to contain government spending and achieve monetary balance.
In a video released on social media, Milei firmly expressed her desire to reduce the current number of ministries, which is 18 portfolios, to just eight, this being one of the ways to eliminate public machine spending.
Along with this, his government plan also addresses the introduction of currencies that would allow citizens to freely choose the best monetary system to be used in the country.
“Responsibility for Adjusting [econômico] it will fall on the political class”, said Milei, in an interview given to La Nación this Monday (14th), reinforcing that his government plan for the area will be comprehensive and will seek to align economic policies with the country’s reality.
In addition to the plans mentioned above, the economist still defends a strong reduction in taxes and the opening of the market for imports and exports. Milei also wants the extinction of the Central Bank, in order to take monetary control out of the government’s hands, another idea that is the result of his libertarian thinking.
“We are dedicated to analyzing a State reform in which it is possible to achieve greater efficiency and lower costs. Total public spending needs to be reduced, but not by abrupt cuts, and much less by dilution with inflation, but by prioritizing certain expenditures,” Diana Mondino, an economist and member of Milei’s team, told La Nación.
Abortion, education, drugs and public safety
In the social and customs field, Milei adds a touch of conservatism to her libertarian thinking. For the Argentine, the triad “life, liberty and property” are her main values.
Unlike some other libertarians and anarcho-capitalists, Milei is a staunch supporter of life from conception, therefore he is against abortion. However, he also defends the legalization of drugs and brought up the controversial discussion about the possibility of selling human organs, a topic that is discussed by groups linked to libertarian thought.
In the field of security, the Argentine adopts a firm approach, with a main focus on combating corruption and professionalizing police forces.
In his government plan, he proposes the liberalization of firearms, a measure defended by all libertarians as a pillar of freedom of defense. For Milei, citizens should have the right to defend themselves and even the right to manage their own protection.
In addition, he also wants the construction of new penitentiary establishments (jails and prisons) through public-private partnerships.
In the area of health, the candidate for Casa Rosada highlights in his government plan the importance of guaranteeing the quality and quantity of hospital services, even in the face of economic adjustment measures.
Milei wants to optimize State resources to improve hospital infrastructure with the definitive implementation of technological solutions, such as telemedicine.
In addition, he wants public health services to be managed in collaboration with the private sector and for hospitals to commit to protecting Argentines from conception to natural death, expressing his desire to repeal the law that allows abortion in Argentina during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Along with this, Milei also wants to develop and promote various programs to assist people with disabilities.
For education, Milei defends the decentralization of public resources and investment in students’ skills. He wants to pass the education budget directly to parents through a voucher system, so that they can invest in their children’s basic education in the best possible way.
Allied to this, Milei also preaches competition between educational institutions as a way to improve the quality of education offered and increase the hours of disciplines such as mathematics, grammar and science and technology, as a way to enhance the development and qualification of students. long-term labor market.
Despite these proposals, Milei’s main objective is that in the future health and education systems will be private in Argentina.
“We must aim in the long term for the private health and education systems and we must aspire to eliminate direct social assistance”, he said in the presentation of his government plan, stressing that there will be no immediate reductions in public policies in the area “until the economic model of freedom is adopted, allowing the creation of wealth, employment and well-being”.
International relations
Finally, in international relations, the candidate for Liberdade Avança wants to strengthen Argentina’s ties with the United States and Israel. Milei even expressed in an interview with La Nacion on Monday that she wants to move the Argentine embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, highlighting Israel as an important ally.
“I consider Israel such an important ally that I have already stated that I plan to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he said.
For some analysts, the Liberdade Avança candidate is currently the favorite to reach the Casa Rosada because he presents himself as a viable alternative for an Argentina that is tired of the long dominance of Peronism and yearns for a substantial change in relation to traditional policies. .
“The results [das primárias] demonstrate the frustration of Argentines with the sense of failure of recent governments, both Peronism and non-Peronist alternatives. The two main traditional coalitions are struggling to capture that feeling, but Milei has proven to connect with it,” Grupo Cefeidas managing director Juan Cruz Díaz told the Americas Quartely website.
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