Madrid Summons Argentine Amb. to Protest President Milei's Remarks

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced on Monday that Spain has summoned the Argentine ambassador to protest comments made by Argentine President Javier Milei, which Madrid says attacked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his wife.

President Milei, a liberal, participated in an electoral rally organized by the Spanish right-wing populist party Vox for the European elections in Madrid on Sunday. During the "Europa Viva 24" conference, where Milei was the guest of honor, he delivered a scathing speech criticizing the Spanish left-wing government and the left-wing parties with harsh language.

In his speech, Milei said, "The world's elites do not realize the destruction that the application of socialist ideas can cause." He added, "They do not understand the kind of society and country that can result from this, nor the type of people who cling to power and the level of abuses that can arise."

In an initial reaction to Milei's attack, Sánchez stated, "What we saw yesterday in Madrid shows the danger this person poses to societies like ours, where democracy depends on the pillars of economic progress, social justice, and coexistence." Sánchez emphasized that respect is essential even in relations between governments with different ideological views. He noted, "I fully understand that the person who spoke yesterday did not do so on behalf of the great Argentine people."

On Sunday, the Spanish government summoned its ambassador in Argentina to protest Milei's remarks. Albares, speaking earlier to Spanish radio station RTVE, stated that Spain has requested a public apology from Milei, warning of further measures if the apology is not issued. Madrid has already recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires for indefinite consultations.

RTVE and other Spanish media outlets reported that Madrid is considering cutting diplomatic ties over the comments. An Argentine government spokesperson initially ruled out issuing an apology.

Albares accused the Argentine president of "interfering in Spain's internal affairs," calling it unacceptable for a "foreign head of state to visit a country to insult its institutions." He described Milei's remarks as a "direct attack on our democracy, our institutions, and Spain."

President Milei received a warm welcome in Madrid at the Vox-organized rally, attended by nearly 11,000 participants from Europe, the United States, and Latin America. In his speech, Milei, who describes himself as an "anarcho-capitalist," declared, "No more damn, cancerous socialism," claiming that socialism leads to "slavery or death" and that social justice is "always unjust."

Vox leader Santiago Abascal thanked Milei, saying, "Thank you very much, Javier Milei, for the terror you have caused the left in the West."

The event saw participation from many right-wing populist and conservative nationalist politicians from outside Spain, including French politician Marine Le Pen from the far-right National Rally, Portuguese politician André Ventura, and Chilean politician José Antonio Kast. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also addressed the event via video link, receiving praise from the audience. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a message describing the upcoming European Parliament elections, scheduled for June 6-9, as a "great shared battle" against Europe.