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Argentine President Javier Milei will participate in a far-right political gathering in Madrid this weekend, organizers announced Monday, marking his return to the Spanish capital where his previous inflammatory remarks triggered a year-long diplomatic crisis.
The Europa Viva 2025 rally, organized by Patriots for Europe—the European Parliament's largest far-right faction—will feature Milei among other "international leaders," according to Spanish far-right party Vox. The party did not specify Milei's arrival date or identify additional participants.
Milei's attendance comes against the backdrop of strained relations with Spain following his May 2024 comments at a Madrid far-right convention, where he described Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as having a "corrupt wife." The remarks prompted Spain to recall its ambassador from Buenos Aires, leaving the diplomatic post vacant for five months.
The Argentine leader further escalated tensions during a June visit to an economic forum in Madrid, calling Sánchez a "crook."
Vox expects thousands to attend the weekend Patriots for Europe rally, which represents the latest in a series of international far-right gatherings in the Spanish capital. In February, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and France's Marine Le Pen participated in a similar Madrid event under the banner "Make Europe Great Again."
The far-right landscape in European politics has become increasingly fragmented across three main blocs. Patriots for Europe, led by Jordan Bardella of France's National Rally, competes with the European Conservatives and Reformists group, which includes Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's party.
A third, smaller faction—Europe of Sovereign Nations—encompasses Germany's Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), which finished second in this year's German elections.
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