Milei's coalition wins decisive midterm victory, boosts veto power

Argentina's President Javier Milei and his La Libertad Avanza party won a decisive victory in Sunday’s midterm elections, securing roughly 41 percent of the nationwide vote and sweeping key districts that renew seats in both chambers of Congress. The result, announced after most ballots were counted late Sunday, strengthens Milei’s parliamentary position and gives his administration greater ability to sustain presidential vetoes and defend against impeachment efforts.

Electoral tallies put La Libertad Avanza at about 40.8 percent of the vote, with the main Peronist opposition around 31.7 percent. Turnout was near 68 percent, one of the lowest participation rates since the return to democracy in 1983. The vote filled 127 of 257 seats in the lower house and a third of the Senate; tallies showed the governing coalition won 64 seats in the lower chamber and roughly a dozen Senate seats, increasing its bloc enough to block veto overrides and strengthen its legislative leverage when combined with allied parties.

The contest was widely interpreted as a referendum on Milei’s two years in office. Since taking power in December 2023, Milei has pressed an agenda of sharp spending cuts,...