Milei's far-right party wins Argentina's midterm elections - though falls short of a congressional majority

[peppertree]

The party of Argentina’s far-right president, Javier Milei, has won Sunday’s midterm elections after a campaign in which Donald Trump announced a US$40 billon bailout for the country and made continued aid conditional on a victory by the current ruling party.

Trump's threats led much of the left-wing opposition to accuse Milei of using the fear of a financial debacle that could result from the sudden sale of some US$2 billion in pesos the U.S. Treasury purchased in October - an apparently successful gambit.

The result, however, fell short of giving Milei a congressional majority: His far-right coalition added a net 34 seats, for a total of 108 - still short of the 129 needed for an outright majority.

The opposition Homeland Strength (FP) and affiliated parties in 11 provinces - whose total Cabinet Chief Guillermo Francos excluded during his announcement of preliminary results last night despite a court order enjoining him against doing so - retained its 101 seats.

The LLA coalition also trounced the opposition in Senate races, winning a net 11 seats for a total of 25, with FP losing 6 seats and left with 28 - both short of the 37 needed for an outright majority.

The nationwide Lower House vote gave Milei's Liberty Forward (LLA) coalition 40.7% of the vote, to the center-left Homeland Strength's 34.8% - surprising many analysts given the ongoing recession and a series of scandals including crypto and kickback schemes involving Milei's sister (and Chief of Staff) Karina Milei, and ties to drug trafficking on the part of two LLA candidates.

At: https://www-pagina12-com-ar.translate.goog/869131-milei-trump-ganaron-y-se-quedaron-con-la-colonia?_x_tr_sl=es&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

An exultant Argentine President Javier Milei celebrates last night's unexpectedly strong showing in midterm elections.

U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to rescind a $20 billion U.S. Treasury bailout likely influenced a last-minute choice by voters - who reversed a 6-point deficit for Milei in election-eve polling.

Though the addition of 34 seats in the Lower House and 11 seats in the Senate greatly enhanced Milei's congressional sway - his far-right coalition still fell short of a majority in either house.

The president's penchant for alienating center-right potential allies in Congress, moreover, likely means that he will continue to govern as he has since being elected two years ago: largely by decree, and without a federal budget.

[PXR-5]

1. They can just follow our lead and

Shut congress down, hey, that's in Project 2025.

[peppertree]

2. Luckily he can't

But Argentine Presidents always have that ugly little Ace up their sleeves: their decree powers.

In Argentina, decrees must be upheld by the Congress - and only for the specific ends, and time window, Congress agrees to.

But for Milei, the Constitution is written in pencil - and he routinely instructs the pertinent departments to disregard any congressional rejection (or expiry) of decrees he was just a little too fond of.

Though rule-by-decree or not, they're headed for another hard currency crisis by January/February unless they enact some meaningful currency controls (which they won't).

Who knows if his Orange Sugar Daddy will be around to bail his derrière out by that time.

[CNYHarris]

3. Hand count

Hand count