MEXICO CITY (AP) — Argentina’s self-described anarcho-capitalist president Javier Milei met with German officials on Sunday in Berlin, part of his ongoing tour of Europe that was met with celebration and outrage.
His meeting with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday came after he received 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 upon receiving the award, Milei declared that he was defeating the “socialists” with “the biggest fiscal adjustment in the history of Argentina”. He was met with cries of “freedom!” in Spanish.
Meanwhile, there were small protests outside the awards ceremony and the meeting between Milei and Scholz, with demonstrators carrying signs that read “down with Milei, down with the far-right government” and “Argentina is not for sale” in Spanish and German.
The award and demonstrations underscored Milei’s reputation as a polarizing global figure, fueling the adoration of some and the hatred of others.
Milei, a right-wing figure known for his unfiltered speaking style, was elected last year on a promise to resolve Argentina’s troubled economy and “make Argentina great again.”
His austerity measures fueled waves of mass protests in the South American country, with demonstrators saying the cuts put the poor even more at risk and has public universities threatened. Milei also attracted the ire of human rights activists after calling abortion “murder” and criticizing the country’s feminist movement as a “cult of 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 full military salute and joint press conference that the German government originally announced were later cancelled.
Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said on Friday that it would be a “very short working visit, expressly at the request of the Argentine president” and that there was a “clear refusal” by Milei to hold a press conference.
The trip to Germany takes place after a controversial trip to Spainwhere Milei made no plans to meet with senior government officials, amid a diplomatic crisis swallowing long-time allies.
Instead, Milei met with Madrid’s powerful right-wing regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who is an outspoken opponent of Spain’s center-left prime minister, Pedro Sánchez. Milei was welcomed by crowds in some parts of Madrid.
Milei generated a number of diplomatic fights with his outspoken style and controversial views since becoming president last December. On Monday, he is expected in the Czech Republic, where he will meet with Czech leaders.
