Why does Milei’s visit to Spain cause a political stir?

The Argentine president, Javier Milei, returned to Spain this Friday, a few weeks after his previous visit to Madrid sparked a diplomatic crisis between the old allies.

This trip by Milei to Spain, like your three-day stay in Maydoes not include any plans to meet with high-level Spanish officials, which has caused a political uproar.

Meetings with the head of state, King Felipe VI, President Pedro Sánchez or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, are not on the agenda.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry expressed strong disapproval Thursday of what it called the Argentine president’s “departure from expected diplomatic norms.”

“It is surprising and anomalous that a foreign president does not request, in any of his first visits to Spain, an institutional meeting with his counterpart, as all heads of state in the world do,” the ministry said in a statement.

The libertarian did meet with the powerful regional president of Madrid, the right-wing Isabel Díaz Ayuso—an open opponent of President Sánchez. The Spanish public television channel RTVE reported that Milei arrived this Friday afternoon in the country’s capital.

Díaz Ayuso decorated the Argentine president with the International Medal of the Community of Madrid. Upon receiving the distinction, Milei said: “We are going to send a project (to the Argentine Congress) to make issuing money a crime against humanity.”

“Argentines woke up to the ideas of freedom and understood that populism does not come out,” said the Argentine president. “It comes out with liberalism,” he stressed.

In his speech, he questioned social justice: “The first thing he does is violate equality before the law because he takes from some and gives to others.”

He also made implicit criticisms of the president of the Spanish government for the investigations into his wife, Begoña Gómez. He spoke of “the porous hands of politicians” and mentioned that “perhaps it is not that of the politician directly, perhaps it is that of a brother, a partner or whatever. He who wants to understand, let him understand,” he assured.

“Mr. Sánchez, despite having been in Economy, did not understand or like the State very much to take jobs from the Spaniards,” stated the Argentine president. “But I have hope that they are waking up, like they woke up in Argentina.”

Subsequently, the first Albiceleste president had dinner at the Real Casino of Madrid, where he received the Juan De Mariana 2024 Award, which recognizes liberal leaders.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said Milei’s visit is private and that the Argentine president’s cabinet did not mention the trip as an official commitment.

The newspaper El País reported that Milei had requested to meet with Felipe, but the Royal Palace did not grant it. The Palace simply said that such a meeting was not on the king’s agenda, adding that the Foreign Office coordinates official visits.

During his first visit to Spain Last month, Milei also refused to have meetings with senior officials. During a speech at a far-right rally in Madrid during that trip, Milei called Sánchez’s wife, Begoña Gómez, “corrupt” and described socialism as “cursed and carcinogenic.”

Gómez is under preliminary investigation for possible influence peddling and corruption. She and her husband have denied any wrongdoing.

Sánchez heads the Spanish Socialist Party.

Spain permanently recalled its ambassador in Buenos Aires two days later, when Milei refused to apologize and called Sánchez “arrogant” and “totalitarian.”

Argentina has kept its ambassador in Madrid.

Milei, a libertarian and former television commentator, took office last December.

[Con información de Reuters y AP]

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