His critics say he looks like a cross between Elvis Presley and Wolverine, but his politics recall Donald Trump and Jair BolsonaroThe right wing Brazilian president from 2019 to 2022. . He claims that his deceased 200-pound English mastiffA breed of dog. urged him to run for president.¹ He was nicknamed "El Loco" (the madman), called Pope Francis a "filthy leftist" and carried a chainsaw around with him on the campaign trail.

None of these are obvious strengths in a president. He is not known for being level-headed, statesmanlike or diplomatic. But for the 14.4 million Argentinians who cast their votes for him, he is exactly what the struggling country needs to get back on track.

Milei describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalistA political philosophy which suggests that private property rights are needed but that governments are not. ."² But others have identified him as a right-wing populistThe term comes from the People's Party, which operated in the USA in the 1890s. Now, it is often used to refer to any movement that makes a distinction between the "people" and the corrupt "establishment"., a celebrity-turned-politician who charged Argentina's elections by playing into conspiracy theories. And if he recalls a political rock star, it is no mystery: before politics, he played in a Rolling Stones tribute band.

His extreme plans include holding a referendumA direct vote by the population of a country on a particular law or issue. on abortion rights and closing government departments dealing with environmental issues and women's rights. He wants to abolish Argentina's central bank, legalise the sale of human organs and dramatically cut social spending.

And his victory was not won by a narrow margin. Milei drew a startling 56% of the vote, beating out his competitor Sergio Massa by 12 percentage points.

What could drive so many in Argentina to take to such an unprecedentedNever been seen before. manifestoA statement published by a person or group of people, especially a political party, or a government, in which they say what their aims and policies are.? Many posit that economic insecurity has pushed marginal views to the forefront. Argentina's economy has long been unstable, but the country is now seeing one of its worst economic crises yet. Annual inflation has surpassed 140%,³ whilst more than two in five Argentines live below the poverty line.

Although more than 100 leading world economists published an open letter warning that Javier Milei's policies would cause economic "devastation" in the already-unstable South American country, experts believe that his unorthodoxUnusual or unconventional. , anti-establishmentA group of people who have authority within society, such as the government or religious leaders. ideas are what have made him so popular among voters. 

Latin America has recorded the biggest democratic recession anywhere in the world over the past two decades.⁴ This has coincided with increasing divisions in the region. Economic successes due in large part to a commodities boom led to a surge of left-wing governments in the early 2000s in Latin America, but a "blue tide" in the 2010s replaced many of these with far-right leaders.

Amid news that half of the world's democratic governments are in decline,⁵ this may spark fresh apprehension. Even more so if we believe polls which indicate that a third of 18-35 year olds favour a military regime or authoritarianEnforcing strict obedience to authority. leader. Milei, after all, was particularly popular among young men.

Many see his success in Argentina as further evidence that populismA type of politics that claims to represent the common people in the fight against a powerful and "elite" establishment. is democracy's fatal flaw. Disillusioned voters are drawn to brash, eccentricUnconventional or erratic. leaders who exploit their feelings of insecurity, but ultimately lead the country down a darker path.

Others urge us not to get carried away. Democracy is still popular throughout the world, with 86% of respondents in a recent global poll saying they would prefer to live in a democratic state.⁶ And though leaders like Milei can take hold in times of insecurity, they often only stay in power for a single term.

Yes: The rise of these far-right populist leaders shows that our faith in democracy is declining. They exhibit anti-democratic ideals and we laud them for it.

No: Countries often move towards becoming democracies, whilst established democracies remain committed towards staying democratic. This means that the movement is still broadly towards democracy worldwide.

Or... Latin America is still predominantly ruled by left-wing or centrist governments. Argentina is an outlier and cannot be used to make such sweeping hypotheses.