Relations between Argentina and Spain continue to worsen since the election of right-wing President Javier Milei in the South American country. Last weekend, Milei traded insults with Oscar Puente, the Spanish Transport Minister. He also made sure to include Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in his attack. Since his election in December, the right-wing populist Milei has not found any common ground with the left-wing socialist government in Madrid, and the two seem to have resorted to ad hominem attacks in a disappointing deterioration of respect.

The insults match began on May 3, when Minister Puente claimed that Milei had “ingested substances” during last year’s presidential campaign. Milei’s office then responded with a statement directed at PM Sanchez, and the government’s policies as a whole. The official statement read that “Pedro Sánchez’s government has more important problems to deal with, such as the corruption accusations leveled against his wife.” Milei also reiterated his belief that the socialist party’s policies “only bring poverty and death.” While Sanchez himself did not participate in the feud, Spain’s Foreign Ministry claimed that Milei’s words “do not correspond to the relations between the two brotherly countries and peoples.”

Milei has also been heavily critical of Sanchez’s efforts to collaborate with Basque and Catalan separatists, echoing Spanish nationalist sentiment and claiming that Sanchez is breaking apart the Spanish Kingdom. In November 2023, Sanchez signed an agreement with a small, radical Basque party that ensured enough parliamentary support to be reelected. Spain has had a long history of internal conflict and disagreement regarding the Basque region up North and Catalonia in the East, and Sanchez has been instrumental to increasing their representation in Madrid. But despite being part of the socialist party, Sanchez has actually rejected the idea of independence for these regions. Milei’s ignorant comments towards a world leader who displayed no ill will shows his own right-wing agenda more than exposing the faults of Sanchez and his government.

Spain and Argentina’s relationship has been historically prosperous, though not without occasional tensions. Economic collaborations, cultural exchanges, and shared linguistic roots stabilize their diplomatic rapport. However, disputes have arisen over issues like Argentina’s nationalization of Spanish-owned assets in sectors like energy and aviation. The European nation is the second-largest foreign investor in Argentina after the US. Since Milei’s election, some Spanish businesses have welcomed the pro-market reforms as potential avenues for investment, while others have expressed concerns about the potential impacts on existing investments and trade relations. One would imagine that the harsh words exchanged will have a negative effect on economic relations in addition to the obvious diplomatic deterioration.

The recent exchange of insults between the Argentine president and Spanish officials underscores the widening ideological gap and the absence of constructive dialogue between Buenos Aires and Madrid. While historical ties and economic interests have traditionally bound these nations, the current political climate threatens to strain their relationship further. Milei’s confrontational approach, coupled with his outspoken criticism of Spain’s internal affairs, risks damaging not only diplomatic channels but also economic cooperation between the two countries. Despite differing political views, restoring mutual respect and finding common ground is imperative to safeguarding the partnership between Spain and Argentina.