Although suffering a political backlash in the 2020 and 2022 presidential elections, Trumpism and Bolsonarism remains alive and well. The sweeping victory of Xavier Milei in Argentina, and with Geert Wilders at a striking distance from power in the Netherlands, the stage is set to re-energise far-right political ideals globally. 

With Donald Trump’s re-election bid frustrated in the 2020 US presidential race and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro presidential loss in 2022, many envisioned that far-right populism was soon to dissipate. The political trauma from the 6 January 2021 US capitol invasion and Brazil’s 8 January 2023 capital riots are a manifestation of how far-right populist ideals can lead to social polarisation and rapid democratic erosion. Even after the desecration of the US capitol and acts of vandalism in Brazil’s three powers headquarters, Trump and Bolsonaro continued casting aspersions on their respective electoral systems. With Trump and Bolsonaro out of office, there was a widespread optimism that the days of constant political turmoil, daily breaches of protocol, and widespread chaos were well over. The new narrative that was to follow their ousting was that both democracies had shown considerable resilience by surviving Trumpism and Bolsonarism.  

With the electoral defeat of Poland’s populist ruling party, Law and Justice (PiS), one could be forgiven for thinking that democracies globally were moving away from illiberal and anti-democratic rule.  

To this day, a significant number of Americans and Brazilians continue to demonstrate unwavering support to both Trump and Bolsonaro. Both nations also suffer from political fragmentation and polarisation. In the 2020 presidential race Trump had approximately 46.7 percent of the popular vote and Bolsonaro 49.1 percent, only two million short of re-election. Although Trump is facing a series of legal indictments, he continues to be the favourite for the Republican ticket for the 2024 presidential race. Bolsonaro, who lost his right to run for the presidency for the next eight years, continues to be actively engaged in politics, Tweeting often and disseminating political propaganda to his support base. 

The sweeping victory of far-right populist Xavier Milei from “La Liberdad Avanza” in Argentina and the likelihood of a prime ministership for Geert Wilders from the Freedom Party (PVV) in the Netherlands signals that global populists  continue to attract adherents, and could re-ignite the far-right flame worldwide. 

Mileiconomics 

Desperate times require desperate measures. With Argentina’s annual inflation rate soaring to 124.4 percent, its highest levels since 1991, the unorthodox economic plan proposed by controversial economist Xavier Milei led him to the presidency. Milei, deemed as “el loco,” cloned his dog (regarded as a son) five times and used a medium to talk to them, declaring they are “the best strategists in the world.” He thanked his “kids with four paws” for his victory. 

Milei is a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” who believes in Adam Smith’s free hand above all things. Also known as “el peruca,” Milei claims that his Boris Johnson look-alike hairdo is daily “combed by the invisible hand of the market.” He defends the legalisation of organ sales in Argentina, gun liberalisation, and has described selling children as just another market commodity. His economic plan is inspired by the Austrian School of Economics, not a mainstream economic perspective in public policy. His interpretation of the Austrian school is controversial and subject to vast criticism.  

Mileiconomics proposes to abolish the Argentinian Central Bank, eliminating the peso and adopting the US dollar. He has also discussed the possibility that the peso will “freely compete” with the US dollar, implementing a social experiment not seen in other global economies. According to a letter signed by 170 economists, dollarising the economy can have adverse effects, generating out of control inflation and more recession. Milei also proposed to lift all state protections to the national industry. Given the lack of subsidies from Argentinian industry, this measure could lead to mass bankruptcy.Meanwhile, in a Kafkanian statement, Milei declared he will cut off all diplomatic ties with China and Brazil, the country’s leading trade partners, since they are “communists,” but has insisted commercial ties will continue. 

This is all  notwithstanding that his running mate Victoria Villarruel is the daughter, niece, and granddaughter of soldiers who participated in Argentina’s 1970s -1980s military Junta, and is an apologist for this regime. It is believed that the Junta kidnapped, tortured, and killed up to 30,000 Argentinian civilians. Milei is also a denier of past kidnappings done under Argentina’s dictatorship, opening past wounds from those who were brutalised under the regime.  

Wilders, EU, and the clash of civilisations  

Winning a shock 37 seats in Parliament, a possible Wilders prime ministership is sending shocks throughout Europe. A Dutch politician for 25 years, and an advocate of zero-sum migration intake to the Netherlands, Wilders is well known for his divisive narrative towards asylum seekers and Muslims. He brushes off the far-right label, denying he upholds any far-right ideals. In an interview with the BBC, Wilders declared: “We are a country of consensus building. We don’t even have that many far-right people in our country, we never will. Indigenous people are being ignored because of mass migration…they feel mistreated.” His party has a political manifesto with openly Islamophobic views, and a clear agenda to clamp down on  Islamic schools, mosques, access to the Quran, and a proposed ban on the use of the hijab in public buildings.  

Members of the Netherland’s Muslim community received the PVV landslide victory with trepidation as they fear political persecution. Wilders’ political views and policies could lead to political fragmentation and segregation of minority non-Western, non-Christian migrant groups. Another flag waved by the PVV and Wilders is a push for a referendum to stay or remain in the European Union. His anti-EU message has been consistent from the time he joined politics, becoming more prominent in his 2005 rejection of a European constitution. Although Wilders is likely to tone down his anti-Muslim and anti-EU agenda to form government, an eventual Exit could later gain political momentum.  

Far-right populist ideals are still a political tour de force globally and will continue beyond their political leaders. A global trend towards democratic disenchantment and the need to look for antie-stablishment politicians who are “one of us” provides the backdrop for the success of populists and their heterodox antics. The polarising narrative of “us” versus “them” articulated by Xavier Milei and Geert Wilders builds upon broader global far-right, anti-globalist views, anti-diversity, and anti-gender pluralism legacies. Their international posturing, which disparages the role played by inter-governmental organisations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the World Health Organisation, is a matter of concern for future global security. Their views towards human rights protections, supranational, political, and economic unions such as the EU and other forums of cooperation is likely to diminish their crucial role in international diplomacy and consensus building. The politics of hate and social division they preach, and their scepticism towards inter-governmental organisations, show no signs of receding.   

Dr Flavia Bellieni Zimmermann is a Lecturer at the University of Western Australia, Department of Politics, Society and Policy. She is a Brazilian political analyst and has written extensively in this field. Her research interests include Brazilian politics and society, Latin American politics, populism and nationalism, women in the global south, gender, politics and religion.

This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.