Ideological zeal and popular cultural roots of Milei’s turn to the right in Argentina

Abstract

Argentine President Javier Milei is leading a turn to the right, and it is not the first one in the pendulum-like history of the country. Yet, something is different this time. I make two arguments in this article. First, I argue that a major new feature in Milei’s program is a high level of ideological conviction and an attachment to libertarian doctrine pursued with religious fervor. In comparison with three earlier right turns, the balance of explicit commitment to philosophical principles and pragmatic ends is much more skewed to the former. Second, I argue that while these libertarian doctrines were marginal in the Argentine political landscape until recently, a libertarian ethics circulated under the radar in popular practices like financial self-help, before they were channeled aggressively into politics by Milei and his party.