Argentinian President Javier Milei has announced his visit to Spain in mid-May, where he will be attending the Europe Viva 24 event organized by the far-right party Vox. Despite this visit, Milei has not requested a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister or the King, which is seen as unusual for a Latin American leader. The Argentinian Embassy in Madrid has not provided any explanation for the lack of institutional agenda during Milei’s visit. This will be Milei’s first visit to Spain since taking office as President on December 10.
Milei and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez crossed paths in January during the Davos forum, where they did not meet but offered contrasting economic views in their public speeches. Sánchez publicly supported Peronist candidate Sergio Massa in the past Argentine elections and did not contact Milei after his victory. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs only released a statement wishing Argentina success in its new phase without mentioning the election winner. Despite Spain having a large population of nearly half a million Spanish immigrants in Argentina, high-level contacts between the two governments have been minimal since Milei took office.
Felipe VI attended Milei’s inauguration as President of Argentina, as is customary with Ibero-American leaders, but Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares did not accompany him as he had a meeting in Brussels. Santiago Abascal from the Spanish far-right party Vox also visited Buenos Aires as a personal guest of Milei and has had close ties with the Argentinian President through Vice President Vicky Villarruel, who denies the crimes of the military dictatorship. Milei has participated in events organized by Vox and has built a relationship with the Spanish far-right party, attending their annual gathering and encouraging support against leftist ideologies.
Milei will be one of the main speakers at the Vox event in Madrid, where the party aims to gather 15,000 people over the weekend. Although political parties are prohibited from receiving donations from businesses by law, Vox has found a way to raise private funding by renting stands within the square during the event. This has raised concerns among experts in party financing as the funds will be used for an electoral event where Vox will present its program for the European elections, led by three men: Jorge Buxadé, Juan Carlos Girauta, and Hermann Tertsch.
With Vox’s declining electoral prospects in Spain, Abascal is looking to showcase his international alliances at the event, including ties with former US President Donald Trump. The event at Vistalegre is organized by the ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists), a parliamentary group where Vox’s MEPs sit alongside other right-wing parties like the Polish and Italian nationalists. Abascal hopes to attract Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party to further strengthen their international ties. The event is seen as a strategic move to boost Vox’s visibility ahead of the European elections and highlight their alliances with like-minded parties across Europe.
