Europeupdated 59m ago2 min read
Javier Milei Calls Pedro Sánchez Dictator, Urges Spaniards To Oust Socialists In Madrid
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Milei called Pedro Sánchez a dictator and urged Spaniards to oust the Socialists in Madrid. Spain's government condemned the remarks as insults and interference from a foreign leader.
Milei vs Sanchez
Argentine President Javier Milei called Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez a “dictator” during a visit to Madrid on Wednesday, urging voters to oust the Socialist leader in upcoming elections.
Milei told an economic forum in the Spanish capital, “You are suffering under the disgraceful dictator Pedro Sánchez,” and he added, “Kick the Socialists out, because you are the cradle of liberalism.”
Spain’s Socialist Party banner outside its headquarters in Madrid read, “Hello, Milei. The lefties welcome you to Spain, the fastest-growing country in Europe,” as Sánchez embraced the term “leftie” that Milei uses to insult opponents.
Sánchez posted a video on X responding to Milei’s use of “zurdo,” and he concluded, “So yes, I'm a leftie, and proud of it.”
Condemnations and meetings
Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Milei’s remarks as “insults and defamations,” and it rejected his call to use violence. The ministry said it was “unworthy for a person who holds the highest office of a sister nation to visit our country with the sole aim of trying to foment a climate of polarization and violence among Spaniards and between sister nations such as Spain and Argentina.”
Milei said he would not meet Sánchez during his visit, and he instead planned talks with representatives of Vox and with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the PP leader of the Madrid region. EFE said Milei would meet the secretary-general of Vox, Ignacio Garriga, and the director of the foundation, Jorge Martín Frías, during the Madrid visit.
Europe-wide political stakes
Milei used his Madrid trip to attack left-wing parties in Europe, accusing them of causing Europe’s economic “stagnation” and for welcoming an “invasion” of immigrants.
“Yes, I am a lefty, and proud of it.”
Milei also tied his rhetoric to Spain’s migration politics, saying the mass entry of migrants into Ceuta in July was emblematic of the left’s actions.
Sánchez’s Socialist Party responded by hanging a banner at its Ferraz street headquarters, and the banner greeted Milei with “Hello, Milei. The leftists welcome you to Spain. The country that grows the most in Europe.”
In the same dispute, Sánchez defended his left-wing stance on X by saying, “If raising pensions, increasing the minimum wage or defending the right to abortion means being a lefty, I am a lefty,” and he added, “Yes, I am a lefty, and proud of it.”