President Javier Milei has fulfilled some of the main promises he made during the 2023 election campaign: he has significantly lowered inflation, stabilized the dollar-peso exchange rate, maintained his zero-deficit goal, and, in addition, boosted exports to a record high.

But if the economy is doing so well, why is his popularity plummeting? Polls suggest that, for many Argentines, the improvements have yet to reach their pockets as they struggle to make ends meet.

In addition to the economic situation, what appears to have triggered the decline is the corruption scandal involving former Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni. The case broke in February, sparking widespread backlash and leading many to believe that Adorni was also part of the “political caste” that Milei had promised to fight.

According to several surveys conducted in July and early August, Milei’s image and approval ratings are among their worst since he rose to power almost three years ago, despite Adorni’s resignation in late June.

Milei is now one of the political leaders with the worst public image, with some surveys even showing him as the least popular.

The results of polls by four consulting firms analyzed by the Herald show that between 53% and 61% of respondents have a negative image of the president, while only around 30% to 39% have a positive opinion of him.

According to consulting firm Zuban Córdoba, 61.3% of respondents have a negative perception of Milei, while 33.4% have a positive opinion. Approval of his administration also stands at 33.4%, while 65.3% disapprove of his government’s performance.

A survey by consulting firm Latam Pulse found that 62.4% of respondents disapprove of Milei’s performance as president, while 37.1% approve. Both figures are at their lowest levels since Milei took office.

Argentines’ evaluation of his government is also at some of its worst levels, with 54.7% saying the current administration is bad or very bad, and 30.1% saying it is good or excellent. The peak in terms of negative perception was in April, with 59%.

Zentrix’s July report shows that Milei’s positive image has fallen to its lowest level........

© Buenos Aires Herald