Friedrich Ebert vs Javier Milei

On November 9, 1918, Ebert was appointed Chancellor by Prince Max von Baden as the German Empire collapsed. This occurred during the November Revolution, with Ebert's Social Democratic Party seeking to establish a parliamentary republic.

Ebert made a secret agreement with General Wilhelm Groener, commander of the German Army, to suppress leftist uprisings in exchange for military support of the new government. This pact allowed the Freikorps to crush the Spartacist uprising but alienated radical workers.

On February 11, 1919, the Weimar National Assembly elected Ebert as the first President of the Weimar Republic. He served as head of state during the republic's turbulent early years, including the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.

As president, Ebert oversaw the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919, which imposed heavy reparations and territorial losses on Germany. The treaty was deeply unpopular and contributed to political instability in the Weimar Republic.

In March 1920, Ebert's government faced the Kapp Putsch, a right-wing military coup attempt. The government fled to Stuttgart and called for a general strike, which paralyzed the country and forced the putschists to retreat, but the event exposed the republic's fragility.

During the hyperinflation crisis of 1923, Ebert supported Chancellor Gustav Stresemann's policies, including the introduction of the Rentenmark and the end of passive resistance in the Ruhr. These measures stabilized the economy but required harsh austerity.

On his first day in office, Milei's economy minister Luis Caputo devalued the official peso by 50% to 800 per US dollar. This was part of a shock therapy to address hyperinflation and fiscal deficits.

Javier Milei won the 2023 Argentine general election runoff with 55.7% of the vote against Sergio Massa. He assumed office on December 10, 2023, as a libertarian outsider, the first such figure to lead Argentina.

Milei's government reported a fiscal surplus for the first quarter of 2024, the first quarterly surplus since 2008. This was achieved through deep spending cuts, including to subsidies and public works.

Milei submitted a sweeping omnibus bill to Congress proposing deregulation, privatization, and labor reforms. The bill sparked massive protests and was later withdrawn after failing to gain sufficient legislative support.