Javier Gerardo Milei [ b ] born 22 October is an Argentine politician and economist who has served as President of Argentina since He has taught university courses and written on various aspects of economics and politics and also hosted radio programmes on the subject. Milei's views distinguish him within mainstream Argentine politics. As a national deputy, he limited his legislative activities to voting, focusing instead on critiquing what he saw as Argentina's political elite and its propensity for high government spending.
Milei pledged not to raise taxes and donated his national deputy salary through a monthly raffle. He defeated the incumbent economy minister, Sergio Massa , in the second round of the general election , for the post of President, on a platform that held the ideological dominance of Peronism responsible for the ongoing Argentine monetary crisis. Milei has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the country's fiscal and structural policies.
On social issues, he opposes abortion and euthanasia and supports civilian ownership of firearms. He also supports freedom of choice on drug policy and sex work. In foreign policy, he advocates closer relations with the United States , the United Kingdom , and Israel , and supporting Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion of the country.
Milei is of paternal Italian descent , tracing his heritage to the municipalities of Cosenza and Rossano in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Furthermore, Milei revealed in that his grandfather, a great influence in his life, discovered that he was a Jew from matrilineal descent shortly before his death.
His grandfather's maternal grandfather had been a rabbi. Javier Milei attended Catholic schools , [ 1 ] including the Cardenal Copello secondary school. He also played goalkeeper for the Chacarita Juniors football team until , [ 6 ] [ 18 ] when Argentina suffered from hyperinflation , and he committed to a career in economics. The collapse of Argentina's exchange rate led to Milei becoming interested in economics during the early s.
