Milei’s tenure: A toxic mix of Argentina’s youth despair and polarisation

Felipe, in his early 20, lives in the central hinterlands of Argentina’s mountainous province of Cordoba. To support himself he works informally in a family-owned shipping company while pursuing a university degree.

On the face of it, he may not seem like a traditional supporter of Argentina’s new far-right radical President Javier Milei. He has “attended a progressive school” but his story is like many Argentines who have grown disappointed by decades-long economic troubles in their country.

“It's those 16 years of mismanagement, understanding that things will never work this way, that these are delusional policies," says Felipe.

He references the two presidential terms former presidents, the late President Néstor Kirchner and continued by his wife and former President Cristina Fernández and their Kirchnerismo movement that began in the early 2000s that pushed him to vote for Milei.

Like Felipe, Agustín and Octavio, also in their early 20s, share a similar journey.

Both study at different tertiary courses and hold down jobs. Agustín works informally at his father's mechanic workshop while Octavio works a minimum wage job at a bar in a luxurious hotel in the resort city of Villa Carlos Paz - one of Argentina's most attractive tourist destinations.

For all three of them it was the first time they felt involved in politics and Argentina’s presidential election in October and like a significant portion of their generation, especially their male peers, they had already rooted for Milei - long before the maverick economist officially entered the race.

What drew them was a range of Milei’s policies while on the campaign trail, he pledged to heavily reduce public spending, challenging the pillars of the welfare state providing crucial services such as free pensions, public education, health care, and state aid for the most vulnerable sectors.

But in less than two months of Milei’s tenure, his government has encountered widespread pushback from various segments of Argentine society, which is resisting his liberal ideals alongside far-right policies. Thousands of unionised workers and various social movements are challenging Milei's proposed reforms.

They denounced his proposed “shock therapy” measures involving huge public spending cuts and sweeping government reforms on January 24. Smaller protests have also erupted across major cities, some marred by instances of police repression with echoes of repression seen back in 2017, according to Pagina12.

Felipe draws “pleasure” watching security forces clashing with left-leaning supporters, a common trend celebrated by Octavio and Agusting. It echoes the administration's narrative that protests, particularly disruptive road blockades, cause unfair inconvenience to ordinary citizens without addressing political issues. This sentiment underscores a broader belief held by Milei and his followers that the political class bears sole responsibility for societal woes.

Despite the absence of immediate policy gains, Milei has maintained the allegiance of his youthful base by emphasising sacrifice for future economic prosperity and an end to inflation. This narrative, centred on challenging the entrenched political elite, resonates deeply with his supporters, who remain committed to the cause as long as Milei continues to advocate for their perceived interests.

“I know that there isn’t a single policy aimed at us, at his political base, if there was it would be populism, and I wouldn’t support it. What benefits us is having a chance at a normal country in the long run. Having a chance of living in true economic freedom” says Agustín.

Milei's political movement or La Libertad Avanza is a diverse coalition encompassing different ideological currents of libertarianism, neofascism and nationalist-reactionary. This diverse political makeup challenges preconceived notions about right-wing voters due to its dynamic fusion of cultural and economic ideologies.

The intriguing link between the left-wing popular Kirchnerismo movement and Milei’s burgeoning support among the youth may seem contradictory.

Kirchnerismo, a movement based on anti-neoliberal and social democratic tenets and championed by the former leaders sought to engage and empower the youth in politics.

But, it eventually led to Argentina’s youth pivoting away from leftwing policies, disenchanted by the perceived decline of the country and towards vastly different ones, leading to a large number to becoming drawn in by the appeal of Milei's libertarian ideals - particularly young men.

Milei's strategic approach, rooted in the right wing strand of the "libertarian movement" and American economist from the Austrian school of economics, Murray Rothbard, seeks direct engagement with the masses and challenges political elites. Communication tactics, including the use of social media and alternative channels, have been instrumental in cultivating and solidifying support among the younger demographic.

Felipe first saw Milei on television but Agustin and Octavio became aware of the far-right leader on television discussions when he became known for his political takedowns of opponents. However, it was amid the 2020 pandemic that Milei began to be perceived as a leader by different sections of society as someone voicing their concerns. It culminated in the economist participating in numerous protests against the government's lengthy quarantine measures - something that Agustin and Felipe also did.

The appeal of Milei appears to transcend mere economic concerns, extending to an online anti-progressive culture that seems to resonate with young dissatisfied individuals. Milei's discourse, championing meritocracy, advocating pro-gun policies, and opposing gender policies, strikes a chord with a segment of the youth disenchanted with the status quo.

Some of the emerging data suggests Argentina's employment rates and economy have stagnated since 2011, despite occasional fluctuations during Mauricio Macri's administration there is a strong downward trend. Education figures have also slipped with seven out of ten Argentine students struggling with basic maths problems, and half of them falling below minimum reading levels.

Economically, locals are feeling their purchasing power squeezed. Argentina closed 2023 with the highest inflation rate globally and salaries rated in hard currencies like the US dollar are at an all time low . Six out of ten children live in poverty, and seven out of ten live in families that rely on some kind of help from the State to buy basic goods like food.

Agustin, who appears to identify with Milei’s far-right movement, worked as a supervisor in the Presidential elections for La Libertad Avanza and criticises Kirchnerism's focus on rights. He says, "Under Kirchnerism, it was all about rights, and people think they have a right to everything, that the State has to accommodate every need anyone might have. And that's insanity in a country like ours.”

He also identifies with Milei’s firebrand rhetoric that the State should take a hands-off approach in terms of providing social welfare.

While there is diverse makeup to Milei’s supporter-base, notions of strong discontent and calls for change appear to underscore the broad movement.

At the other end of the spectrum of young voters supporting Milei are many young adults in their early thirties, who recall growing up in the early days of Kirchnerism. 32 year Matias is one of them who lives in Valle Hermoso, a tourist town in the Sierras of Cordoba. He works as a manager in a small cookie factory.

He seems to represent the shift that allowed Milei to make it all the way to the presidency. In previous presidential elections, Matias voted for Peronist candidates, but in the last election, he opted to become the local chief of supervisors for La Libertad Avanza.

He seems to be won over Milei calls to slash the State’s red tape amid calls for higher productivity, believing others in Argentine society could learn a thing or two..

"My boss doesn't want to grow the factory or take on more clients because growth means more problems, more taxes, legal responsibilities, and employment liabilities that are insane. Here is a guy in his 50s that could be employing at least double or triple the amount of people that he has right now or even more. But in this country, that's almost like a death wish for an entrepreneur. It shouldn't be this way," Matias tells TRT World.

While acknowledging that many of Milei's extravagances are useless and nonsensical, Matias is unfazed amid his pledges to bolster the country’s financial footing.

Matias says the toll of Argentina’s challenging social conditions have meant many close to him have left the country in search of their fortunes overseas.

"I have a group of ten friends from high school. Seven of them have already left the country, another one is leaving next month. None of them want to come back. I don't want to leave my country; I want to grow here, have my own business, employ people, and have a decent life. It shouldn't be so damn hard.”

Before the Great Depression of the 1930s, Argentina was among the 10 richest global economies and many like Matias wish to see a return to such economic prosperity.