MEXICO CITY (AP) — The self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist president of Argentina Javier Milei met with German officials in Berlin on Sunday, part of his ongoing tour of Europe, which was greeted with both celebration and outrage.
His meeting with the 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 “liberating the population from the chains” and restoring “hope.”
In a speech accepting the award, Milei declared that he defeated the “socialists” with “the largest budget adjustment in Argentina’s history.” He was greeted 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 the 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 speaking style, was elected last year on a promise to fix Argentina’s troubled economy and “make Argentina great again.”
His austerity measures have sparked waves of mass protests in the South American country, with demonstrators saying the cuts have further endangered the poor and put public universities at risk. Milei has also drawn the ire of human rights activists after calling abortion “murder” and denouncing the country’s feminist movement as a “cult of gender ideology.”
Little was immediately known about what Milei discussed with Scholz, a center-left leader whose politics and style contrast sharply with those of Argentina’s president. But a salute with military honors and a joint press conference that the German government had originally announced were later canceled.
Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said on Friday that 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 press conference.
The trip to Germany comes after a controversial trip to Spain, where Milei made no plans to meet with senior government officials amid a diplomatic crisis engulfing long-standing allies.
Instead, Milei met with Madrid’s powerful right-wing regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, an outspoken opponent of Spanish center-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Milei was met by cheering crowds in some parts of Madrid.
Milei has caused a number of diplomatic rows with his outspoken style and controversial opinions since becoming president last December. He is expected in the Czech Republic on Monday, where he will meet Czech leaders.
