Is Javier Milei the Future of Libertarian Governance or Its Last Stand?

Philip Pilkington examines the meteoric rise of newly elected president of Argentina’s Javier Milei and asks whether his “anarcho-capitalism” offers any real solutions to our economic dysfunction.

On the 19^th of November 2023, Javier Milei won the presidency of Argentina with a healthy 55.7% of the vote. When he assumed office in December Milei would become the first self-declared ‘anarcho-capitalist’ to take control over a major country in history. Milei was elected because Argentineans were sick of the severe economic dysfunction in their country. When they went to the polls in mid-November, the inflation rate in Argentina was 161% meaning that prices were more than doubling every year. High inflation had long been a problem in the country, but since the beginning of 2022 it had drifted away from the 50% rate people were used to and started climbing and climbing. No one else had any ideas for what to do so Argentinean voters gave Milei a shot.

Milei himself is a bizarre character. Although the world has seen a series of eccentric political personalities emerge in the past few years, none can best Milei. An economist by training, Milei has cultivated his character on Argentinean television. He has portrayed himself as being a former tantric sex coach and hard rock singer. He has dressed in a strange superhero outfit and dubbed himself ‘Captain AnCap’ – ‘AnCap’ being a very online acronym for anarcho-capitalism. Much of this can be put down to the charming penchant of Argentineans, much misunderstood outside the country, for absurdist humour. But Milei is certainly serious about his extreme anarcho-capitalist beliefs which include advocating for a free market in human organs – what could possibly go wrong with such proposals?