BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The stakes were always high for Argentina's libertarian president, Javier Milei, in this weekend's midterm elections.

But now, with a currency crisis deepening and a controversial U.S. bailout on the way, the eccentric economist-turned-politician has more than political posturing riding on Sunday's vote.

The elections — which will renew half the lower house and a third of the Senate — are a crucial test for a president who has made good on his promise to take a chainsaw to public spending.

In a recent televised interview, Milei called the elections "much more important than we think," warning that without a stronger presence in Congress, it's difficult to pass legislation.

His party, La Libertad Avanza, holds just 37 of 254 seats in the lower chamber, relying

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