Lead

President Javier Milei’s popularity has fallen to its lowest level in more than two years, according to a report by the Buenos Aires Times, and the political conversation in Argentina is already turning toward the 2027 election. The question now being asked in investor trips and political circles, the report says, is whether the moment has arrived for a third way between Milei’s shock therapy and the free-spending Peronism epitomised by Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

Corruption was once Milei’s strongest card against the Peronist movement, but it is now just one of several vulnerabilities damaging the libertarian president’s brand and giving wings to the opposition’s comeback plans. Graft allegations are swirling around the president’s orbit, and his flagship promise of conquering inflation remains only partially fulfilled.

Coverage Comparison

The Buenos Aires Times reports that Peronism is positioned as the most viable alternative to Milei, quoting Steven Levitsky, a professor of Latin American Studies at Harvard University, who says: “Milei is no longer a shoo-in to be re-elected. Right now, Peronism is positioned as the most viable alternative.”

The same report notes that Peronism itself is struggling to decide what kind of alternative it wants to be. Conversations with party officials and analysts suggest an internal tussle over whether to promise a reversal of Milei’s slash-it-all doctrine or to accept its main pillars — fiscal discipline, a smaller state, and debt repayment — with a distinctly Peronist twist.

In a separate report, the Buenos Aires Times covers a speech by Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof, who is seen as the movement’s likely presidential candidate in 2027. Kicillof admitted that Peronism’s last attempt at governing the nation “didn’t work” and blamed that failure for Milei’s election. He called on the opposition to create a credible political alternative capable of challenging Milei’s ruling party.

Key Claims

  • Javier Milei’s popularity is at its lowest level in more than two years, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Peronism is positioned as the most viable alternative to Milei, according to the Buenos Aires Times, citing Harvard professor Steven Levitsky.
  • Axel Kicillof is the prime contender to lead the fight against Milei, given his two terms governing the country’s most populous province, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Kicillof has spent the past two years positioning himself as Peronism’s future leader, according to the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Milei’s flagship promise of conquering inflation remains only partially fulfilled, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Graft allegations are swirling around the president’s orbit, according to the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Kicillof admitted that Peronism’s last attempt at governing the nation “didn’t work,” as quoted in the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Kicillof called on the opposition to create a credible political alternative to Milei’s ruling party, as reported in the Buenos Aires Times.
  • Kicillof urged self-criticism and a reassessment of priorities among the opposition movement, according to the Buenos Aires Times.

Perspectives

Peronist Opposition

Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof, the likely Peronist candidate for 2027, admitted that the previous Peronist government “didn’t work” and that its shortcomings opened the door to Milei’s rise. He called for self-criticism, organisation, and a credible alternative that reviews past mistakes and proposes a path to pull the country out of its current difficulties, while warning against “fragmentation and personal ambitions surfacing too early.”