President Javier Milei’s party La Libertad Avanza (LLA) and its allies PRO have called for introspection and vowed to correct “mistakes” after losing to Peronism by a 13-point margin in the Buenos Aires Province elections. 

Victorious Peronists have described the vote as a rejection of austerity and the small-state model.

On Monday, Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos said that the electoral defeat happened because “the macroeconomy is growing, but people are not seeing it” and therefore “are wary of those economic accomplishments.”

“We didn’t suffer a hurricane yesterday, but it was a pretty strong wind,” Francos acknowledged during an interview with Radio Mitre. “Like the president said, it’s time for self-criticism, analyzing where we failed,” he said, and added that responsibility for the result is “shared” between all members of the government.

Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, who left PRO — the party she used to lead — to join LLA, said that the government “will fix what needs to be fixed, but the country’s path will remain.”

LLA national deputy José Luis Espert, who is seeking to renew his seat in the national legislative election in October, congratulated Milei, Presidency Secretary and LLA national leader Karina Milei, and LLA provincial head Sebastián Pareja “for their great work” and called to “make Buenos Aires province great” in the upcoming race.

Silence from Macri

Key PRO leaders, such as party head Mauricio Macri and Cristian Ritondo, who led the alliance agreement with the PRO as head of the party in BA province, did not publicly comment on the results. Despite forming the coalition, PRO played a clear second fiddle: ballots showed the name and colors of LLA and were topped by Libertarian candidates.

The LLA-PRO coalition, formed specifically for this race, expected to turn things around in the province, or at least reach a “technical tie,” as Milei had said days prior to the election. However, they lost by 13 points with 34% against Fuerza Patria’s 47%.

The president later accepted the “clear defeat” in a speech at the LLA headquarters, saying that self-criticism was necessary and that they would fix their mistakes — but stick to their political direction.

The government has been tight-lipped about what, exactly, it regards as its mistakes. There was widespread speculation of a cabinet reshuffle and rolling heads on Monday.

Economy Minister Luis Caputo promised there would be no changes on the economic front. However, the dollar was trading at AR$1,460 on Monday morning.

The defeat comes as the national government is facing serious corruption and bribery allegations and several adverse results in Congress.

Peronism’s return

Governor Axel Kicillof was the clear winner of the night. While the results of the October 26 national legislative elections are yet to be known, Sunday’s election was a success for him.

“Today, Buenos Aires province put a stop to Milei,” wrote Buenos Aires province Infrastructure Minister Gabriel Katopodis on X. He led the Peronist ticket for the first electoral section. “The people of Buenos Aires province said no to this austerity model that demands great sacrifices without any results.”

Deputy Governor Victoria Magario, who ran as top candidate for the third electoral section, highlighted the importance of the unity reached within Peronism to defeat Milei, despite their ongoing party infighting. 

“Abandonment, austerity and the ‘every man for himself’ doctrine demanded a task of us: joining forces to stop Milei and protecting the people of Buenos Aires province,” she wrote on X.

Quilmes Mayor Mayra Mendoza, also a candidate for the third electoral section, said that people voted for Kirchnerism and Peronism despite Milei’s proposal to end Kirchnerism. “This is a clear win for workers, women, young people, and, above all, for Cristina Kirchner,” she said in an X post. 

On Sunday night, Mendoza waited for the results with the former president at her apartment, where she has been under house arrest since June. With them was Kirchner’s son, Máximo, leader of Kirchnerist group La Cámpora and the provincial branch of the Peronist Partido Justicialista.

Mendoza and Máximo, in particular, are in long-standing feud with Kicillof over Peronist leadership. Months ago they agreed to form a united front along with former economy minister and 2023 presidential candidate Sergio Massa, who celebrated the results alongside Kicillof at the Peronist headquarters on Sunday. Massa did not publicly comment on the victory, but his press team shared a photo of him hugging Kicillof.

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