Media outlets have variously referred to Javier Milei, the 59th president of Argentina since 2023, as right-wing populist, and right-wing libertarian. Economically, they have described his positions as neoliberal and ultraliberal. Milei primarily identifies as a minarchist and liberal-libertarian, or classical liberal, while also aligning theoretically with anarcho-capitalism and paleolibertarianism.
He advocates for a more limited government, focused solely on justice and security. Milei's philosophical underpinnings rest on the concepts of non-aggression and self-ownership, emphasizing respect for life, liberty, and property, in accord with free-market principles. Some commentators and political scientists recognize these views as fundamentally libertarian, while others focus on the space Milei occupies in the context of populist or right-wing politics globally.
A staunch opponent of government intervention in the economy, Milei asserts that state involvement hampers economic growth, and identifies Keynesian economic policies as a primary factor in Argentina's financial challenges. He opposes socialist and communist ideologies, which he regards as oppressive systems that generate poverty and hunger. Milei also takes a critical stance on the Central Bank of Argentina and taxation policies, proposing radical changes aimed at economic liberalization and restructuring of governmental ministries. He proposes radical changes in foreign relations, while being pro-United States, pro-Israel, and criticizing socialist governments.
Economic views Milei describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist, minarchist, paleolibertarian, and liberal-libertarian, which is close to libertarianism in the United States and classical liberalism. He is an outspoken advocate for economic liberalism and fiscal conservatism, subscribing to the Austrian School of economics and taking a critical stance against Keynesian economics. Milei draws his economic philosophy from a wide array of thinkers and economists, spanning from classical figures like Adam Smith to modern theorists like Murray Rothbard, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Gary Becker, and Jesús Huerta de Soto. Milei has expressed particular admiration for the economic policies of former Argentine president Carlos Menem and his economy minister Domingo Cavallo, referring to their administration as the "most economically successful in Argentine history." His views also find resonance with historical Argentine figures like Juan Bautista Alberdi, and contemporary economists like Alberto Benegas Lynch.
Economic systems Milei promotes capitalism and free enterprise, and strongly opposes communism and socialism. In a TEDx presentation that went viral on social media in February 2019, Milei presented what he described as "a love story" about capitalism, arguing how capitalism and the free market have lifted people out of poverty. He then cited what he describes as myths regarding capitalism, rejecting the idea that the Nordic model is socialist, and stating that the Nordic countries are "more pro-market than people think". Believing that making everyone economically equal is impossible and undesirable, he asserted that labeling social inequality a problem is a "lying hoax", saying that "social justice is unjust". He concluded that this was a debate about values, and that socialism embodies envy, resentment, and coercion, while capitalism or liberalism stands for the unrestricted respect for the life project of fellow individuals.
In an interview in November 2020, Milei said: "I hate communists, shitty left-wingers, because they hate life." He called the left an economic, social, and cultural failure that murdered 150 million human beings, asserting that the socialist model is "the model of poverty, this world is totally crazy." He further stated that there are only two systems, liberalism or communism, as he believes that any intermediate solution is unstable and tends to drift towards communism. In 2021, he signed a letter sponsored by Vox that railed against "the advance of communism" in the Spanish-speaking world, and was endorsed by Eduardo Bolsonaro and José Antonio Kast. In October 2021, he reiterated his anti-leftist views, saying: "I will ally with all those who believe that the left is the enemy."
Government size and public spending Milei has proposed a radical restructuring of the Argentine government, advocating for a reduction in the number of ministries from 24 to 8. Notably, he has called for the elimination or merging of major ministries such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity, and the Ministry of Health.
Beyond institutional restructuring, Milei has pledged to address Argentina's economic challenges through swift, significant reductions in government spending, and radical economic "shock therapy" aimed at tackling issues like inflation. According to his adviser Darío Epstein, Milei aims to balance the budget within three months. Epstein elaborated, stating: "The first thing we have to do is to lower the fiscal deficit by 5 percentage points, which is not at all easy. As Argentina is in a very critical situation, with 40 to 45 per cent poverty; what we should not do is to fire people from the public sector or lower social spending. That is very important." Additionally, Milei has been a vocal critic of previous administrations, including those of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mauricio Macri, and Alberto Fernández. He cites their excessive government spending and lack of fiscal adjustment as major concerns.
Central Bank of Argentina and monetary policy Milei has criticized the Central Bank of Argentina, describing it as "one of the greatest thieves in the history of mankind." He said: "Central banks are divided in four categories: the bad ones, like the Federal Reserve, the very bad ones, like the ones in Latin America, the horribly bad ones, and the Central Bank of Argentina." He advocates for the eventual dismantling of the Central Bank to allow citizens to freely choose their monetary systems. He is also a proponent of a dollarized economy as a measure to counter the country's persistent inflation problems. Commenting on the Convertibility plan of the 1990s, Milei stated: "Convertibility was launched on [1 April] 1991. By January of 1993, we were the country with the lowest inflation in the world. I propose the free competition of currencies, full reform of the financial system. Thus, the most probable thing is that Argentines choose the dollar."
Taxation Milei articulates a critical view of the role of the state in economic matters, calling it "the greatest enemy of wealth". He asserts that an enlarged state, funded by taxes, can result in reduced real wages. When financed by debt, Milei argues that this essentially constitutes deferred taxation. Furthermore, he contends that if the state accrues external debt, this could lead to a negative impact on the equilibrium exchange rate, thereby raising the cost of essential goods and exacerbating poverty. Milei describes Argentina as a tax hell, and emphasizes the role of the state as a hindrance to economic freedom, saying "the state is the problem, not the solution". Within this framework, he aligns himself with liberal traditions that seek to minimize state intervention, invoking concepts like "Life, liberty, and property" as foundational rights. Milei maintains that current taxation policies serve as obstacles to these rights and envisions liberalism as a means to alleviate what he identifies as state-imposed constraints.
As an example, Milei cited the Prohibition era in the United States, which he considered an arbitrary limit to personal freedoms, and praised the gangster Al Capone as a hero for defying the prohibition and selling alcohol in black markets. He considered that it was the state who started the violence of the prohibition era, and concluded "The question is why he went to jail. For tax evasion. That's the lesson: politicians don't care if you're a murderer or a thief, as long as you don't touch their stuff. The only sacred cow is the politicians' asses".
Privatization Milei supports privatizing state-owned enterprises, including shale driller YPF, and roads, and pledged to scrap soy taxes and ditch an electric-vehicle battery bid as part of his deregulation program. He also articulated his intention to either shut down, privatize, or redefine the National Scientific and Technical Research Council, which prompted criticism among Argentine researchers.
Social security Milei described the addendum to Article 14 of the Argentine Constitution, introduced by Perón, which guarantees labor rights, pensions, and the entire social security system, as the country's cancer.
Organ trade Milei said that he is in favor of selling organs on the market.
Social views On social issues, Milei has been labeled as socially conservative.
Abortion and euthanasia Milei opposes both abortion and euthanasia, grounding his views in propertarian terms, as he sees them as violating the non-aggression principle. He considers abortion to be a violation of property rights, and equates it with theft. Milei holds that abortion is morally indefensible, even in cases of rape, and supports it only when the mother's life is endangered. He plans to hold a referendum on Argentina's 2020 abortion legalization law, and has indicated he would support its repeal. He has stated that his opposition to abortion is based on what he said is an "unrestricted right to life". Arguing about the beginning of human personhood, he said that human life begins at conception.
LGBTQ rights and issues Milei is indifferent to same-sex marriage; he sees marriage as a contract, and is opposed to it as an institution. He has also stated that homosexuality is a "personal choice", and is not a disease, saying that he would respect any type of consensual sex, hyperbolically including sex with an elephant.Bayly, Jaime (12 November 2023). Entrevista a Javier Milei: un hombre y un elefante . La Nación. "... me sorprendió y decepcionó que Milei dijera que respetaba lo mismo a dos amantes de un mismo sexo que a un hombre teniendo sexo con un elefante".
On the topic of transgender rights, Milei has stated that he "does not care" about gender identification "as long as you do not make me pay the bill", and compared it to identifying as a cougar. In an interview with Clarín, he said: "... if you want to perceive yourself, be a cougar. Do it. I have no problem, but don't impose it on me by the state. Don't steal money from people to impose someone else's ideas on them. That is violent."
In a January 2025 speech at the World Economic Forum, Milei argued there was an "LGBT agenda", saying, "In its most extreme version, gender ideology simply and plainly constitutes child abuse. They're pedophiles." In the same conference, Milei made a reference to a case of two American gay men from Walton County, Georgia –William and Zachary Zulock–, who were convicted in December 2024 of sexually abusing their adoptive children and sentenced each to 100 years in prison without parole. Milei later defended himself and denied the association between the US case and gay men in Argentina, saying that the opposition used falsehoods and ad hominem to attack him.
In February 2025, Milei's government implemented a ban on gender-affirming care under the age of 18, as part of Milei's war on "woke ideology". In April 2025, a Federal Court ruled that the ban was unconstitutional, restoring access to care for minors nationwide.
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