By Nicolás Misculin

BUENOS AIRE (Reuters) – Javier Milei is an ebullient Argentine economics with long hair. He also has a large fan base. His televised mocking of Argentina’s elite politicians was once a hallmark. He now has the chance to take them down at your ballot box.

An admirer of Donald Trump’s former president has surged in opinion polls before the 2023 Argentine presidential election. He attacks the political mainstream and promises total economic freedom.

Milei said that he is a misunderstander in terms of logic and political action, as he has come to stamp out politicians’ privileges in an interview with Reuters. Milei spoke to Reuters during Buenos Aires’ popular monthly lottery, which he uses to pay his salary as a lawmaker.

This sudden rise was fueled by decades of economic chaos, which have left once prosperous South American nation with high inflation and nearly 60% poverty. There are capital controls, limited peso currency, severe debt problems, and capital controls.

Milei seeks to disillusion voters with both the Peronist ruling coalition and the main conservative opposition.

According to a recent voting intentions survey by Ricardo Rouvier & Asociados, Milei, a self-described libertarian, received the support of 37.7%, second only to potential candidate Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, the centrist mayor of Buenos Aires city, with 44.7%.

Similar trends are evident in other polls, including one by Opinaia which places him at the top of the list. Other polls show Milei in second place behind mainstream candidates.

“He’s rising. “That’s what all polls indicate,” Shila Vilker (director of Trespuntozero), said.

“The real question is, does he continue to win, or will that lead to the collapse of the political system?”

(Graphic-Argentina election race: https://graphics.reuters.com/ARGENTINA-POLITICS/jnvwerqrzvw/chart.png)

“I WILL BE OVER THEM ALL”

The major parties took note.

Peronist President Alberto Fernandez has stated that he would seek reelection. He has also criticized Milei’s platform for being “right-wing chaos.” Before deciding to reject it, the conservative opposition briefly thought about joining hands with Milei. Milei claimed that the interest of Milei was “lukewarm.”

In a century, there has been no democratically elected president of Argentina without a close alliance with either the Radical Civic Union or Peronism. Their political machine would make it difficult for them to succeed in addressing the challenge.

Milei is often compared to Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his blunt style and anti-establishment rhetoric.

His economic ideas are not identical to either of them.

The measures include the reduction of public spending, fighting political corruption and reforming labor markets. He also promised to abolish the central bank and promote other currencies than the peso.

Social policy includes opposing the legalization of abortion and protecting free weapons carrying to combat crime.

He is a former musician and an athlete. In recent years, he regularly appears on TV and has starred in “Milei’s office”, a play about economics. He held a glittery party at a large concert hall in Buenos Aires last year to celebrate his victory in legislative elections. In the past, he has dressed as a superhero in an attempt to defeat “Keynesians”.

Milei, who was wearing a grey suit and tie rather than his usual leather jacket, said that Argentina has been trying to create social democracy since 100 years.

He remains positive despite all the obstacles.

He said, “I don’t care about who my rivals on the ballot are, I will beat all of them.”

(Graphic- Argentina: fight for votes: https://graphics.reuters.com/ARGENTINA-POLITICS/mypmnydwavr/chart.png)