Lead
President Javier Milei clawed back some ground with Argentine voters as adversaries lost favour and inflation slowed, although his popularity remains near the lowest levels of his term. His approval rating rose to roughly 40 percent, up four points from April, according to LatAm Pulse, a survey conducted by AtlasIntel for Bloomberg News and published Thursday. Disapproval fell nearly five points to 58 percent, down from its peak of 63 percent a month ago, as reported by the Buenos Aires Times.
The improvement came after monthly inflation slowed in April for the first time in nearly a year. The share of voters who ranked rising prices among their biggest concerns eased as well, falling to 31 percent from 36 percent. Corruption and unemployment remain atop the list of worries, the poll showed.
Coverage comparison
Reporting from the Buenos Aires Times highlights two facets of the story: the poll numbers and Milei’s own defence of his administration’s economic record. The first article focuses on the survey data and the broader political context, noting that Milei ranks as the fifth-most popular politician in Argentina according to a separate gauge that measures positive and negative images. He trails a trio of leftist opponents – socialist lawmaker Myriam Bregman, Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof and former president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner – as well as Senator Patricia Bullrich, a former member of his cabinet. Milei held the top spot for months earlier in his Presidency.
The second article centres on Milei’s comments at an event where he argued that his administration’s economic achievements were “plain to see,” citing improvements on growth, inflation and Argentina’s country risk rating, which is tracked by JP Morgan. He claimed the risk rating has “fallen from 3,000 points to 500, and Argentina now showing fiscal indicators worthy of a far better rating.”
Key claims
- Milei’s approval rating rose to 40 percent, with disapproval at 58 percent.
- Monthly inflation slowed in April, and the share of voters concerned about rising prices fell to 31 percent.
- Milei is the fifth-most popular politician in Argentina, trailing several opponents.
- The IMF’s Executive Board approved a US$1-billion disbursement for Argentina, boosting Central Bank reserves to their highest since 2019.
- Milei predicted investment-grade status only when Argentines embrace “the ideas of freedom” and bury populism.
- Economy Minister Luis Caputo predicted May’s inflation would be lower than April’s.
- Milei criticised media outlets for “unfair attacks” on his government.
On inflation, Milei admitted that the monthly rate – which hit 2.6 percent last month – is “not where we want it to be, but if we had not tackled the fiscal imbalance, the Central Bank imbalance [of reserves], and put the state’s finances in order, without any doubt we would have ended up with inflation of 15,000 percent.” Argentina has not recorded an annual inflation rate of such height since the period of hyperinflation in the 1990s. Under Milei’s predecessor, ex-president Alberto Fernández, inflation topped 200 percent.
Eliminating price hikes “is a necessary condition for growth, though not a sufficient one,” he added. “Each passing week may bring a little zigzag in the indicators, but the trend is clear: Argentina is heading towards lower inflation and stronger growth.”
The President’s remarks echoed the speech given earlier in the day by Economy Minister Luis Caputo, who predicted that May’s inflation rate would be lower than April’s and asserted that, by 2027, Argentina would avoid the uncertainty usually generated by presidential elections because “the economy will overwhelm politics.”