Milei's party leading parliamentary elections in Argentinian capital, 15 provinces

The ruling La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances) party is leading in the interim parliamentary elections in the capital of Argentina and in 15 out of 23 provinces, the vote count data published on the website of the National Electoral Chamber shows, Report informs.

Currently, the ruling party is leading by a margin of less than 1 percentage point, including in the province of Buenos Aires, which is home to 40% of the country's population. In this region, La Libertad Avanza is followed by the main opposition coalition, Union por la Patria (Union for the Homeland), one of whose leaders is former President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. The elections were held to renew 127 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 seats in the Senate.

The interim elections were seen by many observers as a test of the approval rating for Milei's reforms. Following his rise to power in December 2023, budget expenditures were sharply cut, and a package of economic deregulation measures was adopted. The government managed to reduce the official poverty rate and slow inflation, but a poll conducted by Escenarios in October shows that more than half of households cannot cover their monthly expenses with their salaries, with other studies indicating a decline in consumption and an increase in credit card debt.

Ahead of the elections, the Argentine government sought help from the United States amid a rising dollar exchange rate and increased country risk. During a meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump expressed support for his Argentine counterpart but noted that if Milei loses, the US will not be generous with Argentina.