Peronist victory in Buenos Aires imposes a major setback on Javier Milei.
Fuerza Patria surpasses La Libertad Avanza by a wide margin in the province of Buenos Aires, strengthening Axel Kicillof ahead of the national elections.
247 - The legislative elections held this Sunday (7) in the province of Buenos Aires represented a hard blow for Argentine President Javier Milei. According to information from Telesur and C5N, Peronism, gathered in the Fuerza Patria coalition, achieved an expressive victory and consolidated its position as the main opposition force to the right-wing government of Javier Milei.
According to the provisional count by the Provincial Electoral Board, Fuerza Patria, led by Governor Axel Kicillof, obtained 46,93% of the votes, surpassing by more than 13 points the alliance formed by La Libertad Avanza and PRO, which came in second place with 33,86%. The Somos Buenos Aires coalition reached 5,41%, while Frente de Izquierda-Unidad obtained 4,38%.
The provincial government minister, Carlos “Carli” Bianco, highlighted the magnitude of the victory:
“We are winning in 6 of the 8 electoral districts and in 99 of the 135 municipalities in the province of Buenos Aires. The results were truly overwhelming in favor of our political force.”
With 14,3 million voters, Buenos Aires represents more than 37% of the national electorate, making this result a relevant indicator for the legislative elections scheduled for October 26. However, voter turnout was lower than expected: 64%, below the historical average of 75%.
In addition to the seats in the provincial assembly — 23 senators, 46 deputies and their alternates — councilors and school board members were elected in 135 municipalities. For the first time in 42 years of democracy, the provincial legislative vote took place separately from the national vote.
Wear and tear on the Milei government
The government's defeat occurred amidst corruption allegations involving Karina Milei, the president's sister and secretary-general, who is being investigated for bribery schemes at the National Agency for the Disabled. Simultaneously, austerity policies and social cuts fueled popular disapproval.
International analyst Javier Romero assessed the result as a milestone:
“This is a hard blow to the hegemonic ambitions of Javier Milei, who thought he was taking everything for himself. The president has not improved the lives of Argentinians; he has made brutal cuts to all social benefits, tripled the prices of public services, and the average income has fallen by a third.”
This scenario strengthens the image of Axel Kicillof, already seen as a potential presidential candidate for 2027.
The elections in Buenos Aires exposed the fragility of Javier Milei's support base and paved the way for an even more intense dispute on the national stage. The result strengthens Peronism.