Argentina’s Milei meets German officials in controversial lap around Europe
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Argentina’s self-described anarcho-capitalist President Javier Milei met with German officials on Sunday in Berlin, part of his ongoing lap of Europe which has been greeted with both celebration and outrage.
His meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday came after he accepted an award from the neoliberal Augusto von Hayek Foundation in the German port city of Hamburg on Saturday for “freeing the population from shackles” and restoring “hope.”
In a speech as he accepted the award, Milei declared he was defeating the “socialists” with “the largest fiscal adjustment in history of Argentina.” He was met with chants of “freedom!” in Spanish.
Meanwhile there were small protests outside both the awards ceremony and the meeting between Milei and Scholz, with demonstrators carrying signs reading “down with Milei, down with the far-right government” and “Argentina is not for sale” in Spanish and German.
The award and demonstrations have underscored Milei’s reputation as a globally polarizing figure, fueling the adoration of some and hatred of others.
Milei, a right-wing figure known for his unfiltered way of speaking, was elected last year on the promise to fix Argentina’s troubled economy and to “make Argentina great again.”
His austerity measures have fueled waves of mass protests in the South American nation, with protesters saying cuts have put the poor even more at risk and have endangered public universities. Milei has also drawn the ire of human rights activists after he called abortion “murder” and lambasted the country’s feminist movement as a “cult of a gender ideology.”
Little was immediately known what Milei discussed with Scholz, a center-left leader whose politics and style contrast sharply with those of the Argentine president. But a greeting with military honors and a joint news conference that the German government originally announced were later canceled.
Scholz’s spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, said Friday it would be a “very short working visit, expressly at the wish of the Argentine president” and that there had been a “clear refusal” by Milei to hold a news conference.
The trip in Germany comes after a controversial trip to Spain, where Milei made no plans to meet with senior government officials, amid a diplomatic crisis engulfing the long-standing allies.
Instead, Milei met with Madrid’s powerful rightwing regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who is an outspoken opponent of Spain’s center-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Milei was met by cheering crowds in some parts of Madrid.
Milei has generated a number of diplomatic spats with his outspoken style and controversial opinions since becoming president last December. On Monday, he is expected in the Czech Republic, where he will meet with Czech leaders.