Ruling party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) has allied with former president Mauricio Macri’s center-right party PRO in 10 districts for the legislative midterm elections scheduled for October 26.

PRO and LLA will run together in Buenos Aires province, Buenos Aires city, Misiones, Tucumán, Entre Ríos, La Pampa, Tierra del Fuego, Río Negro, Mendoza and Chaco. In the last two, the centrist party Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) will also be part of the coalition.

The parties first announced their formal alliance on Thursday, less than a month after they decided to run together for the Buenos Aires province local elections, set for September 7.

To illustrate the deal, leaders of both parties shared on their social media accounts a picture of Javier Milei surrounded by the members of the coalition in La Matanza, a Peronist stronghold. All but the president were sporting purple jerseys —, the color of the ruling party — even the two provincial candidates of PRO, national deputy Cristian Ritondo and Mar del Plata city mayor Guillermo Montenegro.

The members of the alliance were holding a banner reading “Kirchnerism, never again.” The “nNever again” phrase was a direct reference to a human rights movement’s motto that is used in Argentina in reference to the last military dictatorship, which disappeared more than 30,000 people between 1976 and 1983. 

In a joint statement published on social media, both parties committed to “working together until 2027” to back Milei’s reforms in Congress.

“This agreement also implies a commitment by both parties to face the irresponsible legislative agenda of those who led our country to economic catastrophe and poverty,” the communiqué read. The statement referenced bills to increase pensions and funding for disabled individuals that were recently passed in the lower chamber. On Monday, president Milei vetoed both laws.

“The ideas of freedom that have made this nation great in the past unite us, especially the defense of life, liberty, and private property,” said the statement.

A strained partnership 

The two parties have had many differences in the past, and were even on the brink of a breakup several times over the past year and a half. In May, they had a harsh standoff in the Buenos Aires City elections, with PRO’s leader Mauricio Macri and his cousin, BA City Mayor Jorge Macri, accusing LLA of sabotage.

Both parties regarded that election as a primary, and presumed that whichever got the most votes would have the upper hand in the following negotiations for the upcoming national and provincial elections. After LLA won and PRO came third, Milei’s party obtained a significant political advantage over its partner, as evidenced by the color of the clothing in the photo-op they shared.

Despite their differences, Jorge Macri has reportedly accepted the proposal of Karina Milei, the president’s sister and secretary general, to give PRO the fifth and sixth spots in the ticket for national deputies from Buenos Aires City, after LLA’s initial offer of the sixth and seventh positions. 

Last Wednesday, Karina also met with former president Mauricio Macri, who said in a statement afterwards that “Argentina chose to return to the path of change, and regardless of where we are, we will always support that process.”

Now that past grievances seem to be momentarily settled, both parties must agree on who the candidates will be in each of the 12 districts. The clock is ticking as the August 17 deadline to register the future candidates gets closer.