A new national study by the consultancy Explanans, evaluating President Javier Milei's administration as it marks 800 days in office, presents a complex picture for the ruling coalition: the president received an average rating of 4.8 out of 10, a score below the approval threshold, yet in a key political comparison, he managed to outperform Buenos Aires Province Governor Axel Kicillof. According to Explanans' analysis, the ruling bloc maintains a 'floor' of support close to 35%, which constitutes a significant political asset in a context of increasing polarization. The study suggests that after completing half of his term, Javier Milei has returned to a more confrontational discourse style. For analysts, this tone is not rhetorical excess but a deliberate strategy aimed at consolidating his political base. The report interprets that the ruling bloc has detected limits to its ability to expand its support in an economically complex context, leading it to choose to reinforce its ideological identity and confrontational discourse to keep its electoral base cohesive. In this sense, analysts point out that the presidential speech at the opening of the congressional sessions reflected this strategic shift, with a tone closer to a political campaign than that of an administration in a consolidation phase. One of the most sensitive data points in the survey is the 31-50 age group, where the negative assessment of the government reaches 61%. The City of Buenos Aires, which showed relatively favorable levels for the ruling bloc during the first part of the government, is beginning to exhibit criticism levels similar to those observed in the Province of Buenos Aires. This shift forces a closer look at the districts where the government maintains firmer support, including Córdoba and Mendoza, considered electoral bastions of the libertarian project. Despite these signs of wear, the study reveals that Javier Milei maintains a relative advantage in the political comparison with Axel Kicillof. When asked which of the two leaders would be 'worse for the country,' the president secured a slightly lower rejection rate: 46.3% compared to 48.6% for the Buenos Aires governor. The result reflects a scenario of strong polarization where the main political figures divide public opinion in similar proportions. The survey also analyzed perceptions of international alliances. On this point, the United States appears with a significantly more favorable rating than China, almost doubling its acceptance level among respondents. For Explanans, the president's main political asset remains the absence of a capable alternative to fully capitalize on the government's decline. More than half of those surveyed stated that their personal economic situation is worse than before, and expectations for future improvement have also deteriorated. For the first time since Explanans began measuring this indicator during the libertarian administration, negative perceptions about the future economy have surpassed optimistic ones: 46.7% believe it will be worse in a year, compared to 43% who expect improvement. This data is particularly relevant for the government, whose political contract with voters was based from the start on the promise that the economic adjustment would be a transitional phase before a sustained recovery.
