Javier Milei's visit has escalated the confrontation between Pedro Sánchez and the Popular Party 38 days before the general elections on November 29. The Argentine president yesterday called the head of government "unpresentable dictator" and "thieving delinquent", encouraged to kick out the socialists "with kicks" and then received a hug from Isabel Díaz Ayuso and the support of Santiago Abascal via video call. Sánchez responded from Burgos linking his adversaries with the policies of the Argentine president and demanding another four years of progressive government.
The day left two different ways of approaching the relationship with Milei within the Spanish right. Alberto Núñez Feijóo dedicated his agenda in Seville to presenting housing proposals, while the regional president of Madrid led the institutional reception of the Argentine. The leader of the far-right Vox, on pre-campaign in Galicia and Asturias, justified his absence due to these commitments and took advantage of his remote conversation to congratulate Milei on his speech. This combination gave Sánchez arguments to insist that agenda differences coexist with a political proximity that voters must evaluate before casting their vote.
Sánchez challenges social rights
"You are all the same gang, Milei, Feijóo and Abascal, that of cuts, the big cut and also the chainsaw", affirmed the president at the Fórum Evolución in Burgos. Sánchez ironized about his adversaries' difficulties in managing the visit and reproached them for not knowing "where to put themselves or where to put him" now. His warning went beyond the insults received. He maintained that, if Feijóo and Abascal govern, they will do to Spain what Milei is doing to Argentina, and predicted a socialist victory to send them electorally "to the sawmill".
The PSOE had prepared its response from early morning with a banner in Ferraz welcoming Milei on behalf of "the left-wingers". Sánchez claimed this identity in a video and transferred it to the rally in the afternoon, accompanied by t-shirts and posters of "Left-wing Pride". The message linked the Argentine's disqualifications with the defense of pensions, wage increases, and women's rights. In Burgos, the president also reiterated his commitment to promote a constitutional reform to shield the right to abortion.
Employment and the minimum wage occupied a central part of that response. Sánchez contrasted the 22.6 million Social Security affiliates with informal work in Argentina and promised new increases in the minimum wage during the years he governs. The Spanish figure corresponds to the daily series from mid-October. The current SMI amounts to 1,221 gross euros per month in fourteen payments, compared to 735.90 euros in 2018, a nominal increase close to 66%. The president linked these improvements to the income that sustains pensions, whose revaluation in accordance with the CPI he defended before the attendees.
Sánchez also resorted to the International Monetary Fund to discuss Milei's economic lessons. October forecasts place Spain's growth at 2.5% for 2026, compared to 1.1% for the eurozone and 2.1% for Argentina. The president intends to use these results to support his argument that growth, social protection, and wage improvement can advance together. With the visit of the Argentine leader, this discussion has gained presence in a pre-campaign in which socialists seek to mobilize those who fear a setback in public services and rights.
Ayuso embraces and Abascal applauds
Ayuso offered the image of greatest political closeness with Milei. The president of the Community of Madrid received him yesterday afternoon at the facilities of Canal de Isabel II, with an embrace disseminated by the regional government. The meeting was held behind closed doors, without media access or a subsequent press conference. Afterwards, the PP leader wrote that she felt deep affection for Argentina and expressed her support for the president's direction. "Their successes will also be ours. Madrid is and always will be their home," she stated.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, had previously defended the meeting, appealing to the "institutional respect and courtesy" due to a head of state. At the same time, he directed his criticism against Sánchez, whom he accused of preferring to talk about Milei to avoid the problems of housing, the shopping basket, or the difficulties in making ends meet. The Argentine president also had the presence of PP representatives at his informative breakfast, including the presidents of the Senate and the Assembly of Madrid, in addition to Esperanza Aguirre.
Abascal expressly endorsed the disqualifications against the President of the Government. During Milei's visit to the Disenso Foundation, where he was received by Ignacio Garriga, Jorge Martín Frías, and José María Figaredo, both leaders held a video call that was publicly broadcast. The Argentine joked that in Spain they said Abascal no longer loved him and celebrated that "there's nothing more fun than kicking leftist asses". When they talked about the insults to Sánchez, the leader of the far-right Vox responded with laughter and signs of agreement. "All very well said," he told him.
Feijóo, for his part, presented in Seville his own housing proposal, with the promise to promote three legislative projects on land, occupation, and horizontal property within the first hundred days. He also announced deductions for owners and tenants who extend their contracts with increases below the CPI and reiterated his goal of building one million homes during the legislature. Sánchez took advantage of this event to ironically comment that the popular leader was talking about "pizzas and flats", while Abascal resorted to a screen meeting with his Argentine ally.
The institutional response to Javier Milei's insults
The Government responded to the attacks with a condemnation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. José Manuel Albares' department rejected the "insults and slanders" against Sánchez and denounced the attempt to foster a climate of polarization among Spaniards and between two countries with a close historical relationship. The statement defended Spain's sovereignty and its democratic institutions against external interference. The visit was private and took place without a meeting between Milei and the President of the Government.
The aggressiveness of the Argentine president also extended to the journalists who asked him about his relations with PP and Vox. To a Cadena SER reporter who wanted to know if his presence made both parties uncomfortable, he responded with disqualifications about her intellectual capacity. During the informative breakfast, he also lashed out at the Argentine newspaper 'Clarín'. His agenda also included an intervention at Rey Juan Carlos University, where protests against his presence took place.
The 2024 precedent helps explain the political scope of this new visit. At that time, Milei's accusations against Begoña Gómez during an event organized by Vox triggered a diplomatic crisis and the withdrawal of the Spanish ambassador in Buenos Aires. A month later, Ayuso presented him with the International Medal of the Community of Madrid. The relationship between the two leaders has continued since then, while the Argentine president has maintained his attacks against Sánchez and his closeness to the Spanish far-right.
The possibility of a new trip is now linked to the Ibero-American Summit on November 4 and 5 in Madrid. During their meeting yesterday, Ayuso asked Milei to attend that event, for which the Argentine had not yet confirmed his attendance. He, in turn, invited the Madrid president to visit Argentina. According to information provided by the regional executive, both also discussed the political situation in their countries, immigration in Ceuta, and Ayuso's objections to the electoral application of the 'grandchildren's law'.
