Milei attacks Sánchez in Madrid as Spain prepares for elections

Javier Milei's visit to Spain was planned around economic debate, academic events and a meeting with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid. El Cronista described a brief trip with a crowded agenda.

But the political purpose was apparent before he left. Perfil.com framed the journey as a campaign against Pedro Sánchez, while La Nacion reported that Milei intended to support the far right and that analysts warned the intervention could backfire.

On October 18, Infobae previewed a trip combining Austrian economics, a meeting with Ayuso and an ideological confrontation with the left. Its reporting placed the visit against a backdrop of protests and political tensions in Europe, particularly France.

On October 19, El Cronista reported that Milei would travel that night, with an economic forum, university activities and the Ayuso meeting on his schedule.

Milei arrived in Madrid on October 20. La Nacion reported criticism from the Spanish government and signs that his allies were keeping their distance. El Cronista also reported plans for a call with Abascal, placing the visit within Milei's effort to strengthen his position on the international right.

On October 21, Sánchez and the PSOE offered a pointed welcome. According to elEconomista.es, a banner at Ferraz proclaimed pride in being "zurdos", a term for leftists.

Milei escalated the confrontation in his speech at the Nueva Economía Fórum that day. El Cronista reported that he called Sánchez an "unpresentable dictator", while ABC reported his appeal to Spaniards to kick the socialists out. Infobae reported that he also called Sánchez corrupt and a thief, and praised Abascal and Ayuso as having ideas to lift Spain out of "decadence".

The visit has moved beyond a show of ideological solidarity into a direct attack by Argentina's president on Spain's prime minister. The accusations against Sánchez are Milei's claims, not established findings in the supplied coverage. Le Monde placed his intervention less than six weeks before Spain's parliamentary elections.

Milei also used the Madrid appearance to address criticism at home. La Nacion reported that he again rejected the claim that Argentines run out of money before the end of the month, dismissing it as a "cheap slogan".

The immediate open issue is how Spanish right-wing figures respond to Milei's public endorsement as the election approaches. La Nacion reported allies taking their distance on his arrival, while Infobae subsequently reported his explicit praise for Abascal and Ayuso. The supplied coverage does not establish whether that endorsement will translate into closer campaign cooperation.