Javier Milei, the libertarian economist with only two years in politics, has won over voters with the promise of lowering inflation, drastically reducing public expenditure and lowering the fiscal deficit, eliminating taxes and reforming the job market. With these steps, Argentina can finally exit its deep crisis and become a world power, he argues.
Samir Santa Cruz, a 21-year-old delivery boy, pedals day and night to take some money home. “It was a relief when Milei won, I trust him,” he said hopeful, as are other youngsters, the sector of the population that supports the president-elect the most.
Santa Cruz lives in a small flat with his girlfriend, their one-year-old daughter, his father, mother and younger brother. “When Milei puts the economy on the right track I already have a lot of businesses in my head, I have an entrepreneurial mind,” said this young man, who actively collaborated with Milei's presidential campaign.
According to a survey conducted by Reale Dallatorre (RDT), between November 22 and 27, 76 percent of youths have a positive image of Milei, and 78.1 percent trust he will do well in the government to be inaugurated this Sunday.
They include those comprising the “Rappi vote” – dubbed by the media to mean precarious workers of such apps as Rappi, Uber or PedidosYa, who support Milei and his proposals, mainly the deregulation of the economy and the job market.
Luna Block, aged 20, is a shop assistant at her family’s kiosk at the Retiro bus station, in Buenos Aires. In addition, she is a physical education teacher at a gym.
Milei “makes me very hopeful,” said Block, who approves of the alliance the La Libertad Avanza leader forged with former presidential candidate and ex-rival Patricia Bullrich, from Juntos por el Cambio.
“My financial situation is not bad, but it is not the best either. I hope he starts working on his proposals from day one,” the young woman pointed out, who will wait and see before starting to criticise him, as he is not being given “an easy situation."
Argentina is in a crisis, with annual inflation at over 140 percent and over 40 percent of the population living in poverty.
According to Pablo Vommaro, coordinator of the Policies and Youths Study Group of the University of Buenos Aires, 13 percent of the young population is unemployed and 20 percent is underemployed, figures which nearly double the overall average.
At a small motorcycle shop in Buenos Aires, Franco Propato, aged 23, welcomes potential customers with an excited look on his face and an optimistic outlook. “As long as Milei keeps 50 percent of his promises, we’ll already be changing our future a lot”, he said enthusiastically.
He will give him time “because, obviously, the politics we’ve had for 40 years is leaving a great mes, and it won’t be fixed overnight."
Propato, who worked at his family’s small company before, is not satisfied with his current job. “The job market doesn’t have much to offer, the conditions I got are not the best. I hope that with Milei that changes and there is an opportunity for growth,” he concluded.
Milei’s ideas of economic openness are in general welcomed by young people. Yet his proposal to privatise YPF is only accepted by 37 percent, according to a survey by RDT. As for a referendum to repeal the abortion law, 40.5 percent reject it, 32.6 percent agree and 26.9 percent are unsure.
Vommaro explains that “Milei was the only candidate with a hopeful discourse looking into the future. That’s one of the reasons why he reached youngsters so much."
Santa Cruz agrees. He imagines a good future under Milei’s administration. “I can see myself doing very well”, he said feeling hopeful that “many companies that have never been in the country, such as Tesla and Amazon” will come. “We’ll have to cope for 12 or 24 months, as Milei said, but I don’t think it’s such a big deal,” he added.
– TIMES/AFP
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