Argentina’s recent primary election has shocked international public opinion and surprised even the locals, given the magnitude of the victory of Javier Milei, a libertarian economist and political newcomer whose discourse has elements of right-wing populism as well.
Argentina’s primaries are a weird affair whereby the candidates, while competing against other members of their own party or coalition for the nomination, also compete against the candidates from the other parties or coalitions, albeit symbolically, because all the primaries take place simultaneously. Any voter can cast a ballot in any one contest without being registered. The election, therefore, produces a presidential candidate for each party or
