As we analyze in this note, Milei’s extreme right won the presidential election in the runoff. She did it by adding the votes of the right of Macri and Bullrich and capitalizing on discontent against a Government that openly failed to fulfill its promises and applied harsh adjustment plans.
Milei made a restrained speech, where he avoided talking about how he will govern as of December 10. He began by claiming to be the first “liberal libertarian president” and promising that “today the reconstruction of Argentina begins.”
In a speech read, he thanked his team but also “President Macri and Mrs. Bullrich who selflessly gave their all to defend the change,” confirming his alliance with Together for Change, part of the caste he criticizes. However, he did not name Victoria Villaruel, his running mate and a denier of the dictatorship, who only accompanied him in the speech on the street.
In his speech he repeated the word “freedom” many times as the magic formula, but he avoided talking about the program that he repeated over the last 6 months. The data is not less. Because for the first time since 1983, a right-wing force that vindicates neoliberal governments, privatizations and postulates impunity for those responsible for genocide and denies the 30,000 missing people comes to power.
Milei, among the few definitions he made, spoke of a “limited government that strictly complies with the commitments it has made, free trade and respect for private property.” But then he limited himself to vindicating the “liberalism” of the 19th century, the oligarchic State. He avoided talking about specific proposals, although he insisted that “drastic changes must be made. There is no room for lukewarmness, gradualism or half measures. “We are going to move forward with structural changes that Argentina needs.”
When the audience sang “Let them all go” Milei let it run, but clarified that “everyone who wants to join the new Argentina joins in.” It doesn’t matter what they’ve done before.” It was, for many, a clear message to the PRO and Together for Change, but also to traditional political sectors that want to join the government or agree on governability.
A counterpoint could also be seen with Massa’s speech, who had said that as of this Monday the President was Milei. The libertarian responded the opposite, which threatens a turbulent “transition.”
He also tried to highlight a heavy-handed message. “There are people who are going to resist. But within the law everything, outside the law, nothing,” using a phrase from Perón. And he stressed “there is no place for the violent. “We will be relentless for those who use force to defend their privileges.”
In two moments of his speech, the new president had to recognize that his victory is due to the crisis of those who have governed and he will have to deal with the expectations that his promises of change may have generated. “Tomorrow we start working so that on December 10 we can bring solutions that Argentines need,” he said.
From the left and the combative sectors there are no expectations in a government of the liberal right. We have faced it in parliament, the campaign and now there is the challenge of preparing resistance in the streets, workplaces and studies. As we stated in light of the results, “a new stage begins in which we will once again find ourselves together with millions in the streets facing the plans of the right in power. We have no fear of Milei’s right. As we said at the beginning, her Government will be born riddled with weaknesses: it will not have its own majority in the National Congress, it does not have its own governors or mayors, it does not have its own troops in unions or social movements. Furthermore: his vote, by expressing right-wing sectors but also sectors that voted “against”, is not a blank check so that he can apply his program.”
With this idea, although Milei does not recognize what measures it will apply from December 10, it is clear that it will apply more adjustment, if necessary by repressing those who resist. That is why it is important to organize with the entire force of the working class with their families and allies in the women’s, youth and human rights movement.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
