Milei pushes reforms with or without political support

Milei pushes reforms with or without political support | Daily Tribune

Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei told lawmakers in his first policy speech to parliament Friday that he would push his draconian economic reforms with or without their support.

“We are going to change the country for good... with or without the support of political leaders, with all the legal resources of the executive,” Milei told lawmakers, who have stalled his project of deregulation and budget cuts.

The president warned those who will oppose him.

“If you look for conflict, you will have conflict,” he told them.

He also appealed for patience and trust. “It will be some time before we can perceive the fruit of the economic reorganization and the reforms we are implementing,” Milei said.

“We have not yet seen all the effects of the disaster we inherited, but we are convinced that we are on the right path, because for the first time in history we are attacking the problem by its cause: the fiscal deficit, and not by its symptoms,” the 53-year-old added.

In his first 82 days in office, Milei had devalued the peso more than 50 percent, slashed state subsidies for fuel and transport, cut tens of thousands of public service jobs, and scrapped hundreds of rules in his bid to deregulate the economy.

Many other planned reforms, however, were challenged in court. More than 60 lawsuits were under way from labor unions, business chambers and non-government organizations, while Argentina has seen massive protests by citizens who fear Milei’s plans will leave them poorer.

Faced with parliamentary reticence, Milei scrapped almost half of the initial 664 articles in the sweeping deregulatory measure issued after he took office, then withdrew it altogether.

But the president has vowed to return his bill to parliament. And he has threatened to pass his reforms by presidential decree if lawmakers do not fall in line.

In recent weeks, Milei has reached out to influential provincial governors, party leaders and former presidents to forge a “new social contract” for the country, based on 10 principles, including a “non-negotiable” balanced budget, “inviolable” private property, and public spending reduced to the “historic” level of 25 percent of GDP.