According to the Financial Times, Milei says he doesn't need Congress to save the economy - Infobae
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February 29, 2024
The President spoke to the British media and stated that, with the current makeup of Parliament, “it is difficult” to approve the measures he is promoting. He anticipated more measures by decrees, although he admitted that “in the long term” Parliament is needed
The front page of the Financial Times newspaper with the interview with Javier Milei
Within hours of his first presentation in front of the National Congress for the opening of ordinary sessions, President Javier Milei gave an extensive interview to the prestigious economic media Financial Times , where he anticipated that he will apply the reforms that he promotes " by decree " because, he stated, With the current composition of Parliament “it is difficult” to approve their projects.
According to the British media, the President assured that he does not need Congress to save the economy, and anticipated that the country can "grow strong" next year.
With the failure of the Omnibus Law as an immediate precedent, Milei affirmed that around a third of the 1,000 reforms that he wants to apply in his first stage of Government are included in DNU 70/23 that is already in force, although some parts were suspended by different judicial measures. Furthermore, he warned that he still has “another 3,000” reforms left, and promised to send them to Congress if he achieves an electoral victory in next year's legislative elections.
“There are other reforms that we can make by decree... changing the application of the laws, and we will do all of that ,” Milei said during the interview published today.
“ But as long as Congress has its current composition, we believe that it is difficult to approve reforms, because what became clear with the (economic reform project) is that politicians have no problem harming the interests of Argentines to maintain their privileges,” he warned.
In any case, he said that he will also send partial reforms to Congress and reiterated his warnings: “ Those who vote against will be identified as the enemies of change.”
Archive photograph of the president of Argentina, Javier Milei. EFE/EPA/SHAWN THEW
Javier Milei will speak tomorrow before Congress at the opening of the regular period of sessions, in the midst of a scenario of political confrontation with most of the opposition, except with sectors of the PRO. Furthermore, he will do it in the place that he described days ago as a “ rat nest .”
Beyond his criticisms, Milei warned before the Financial Times that "in the long term Congress is needed," and he hoped for an electoral victory in the mid-term legislative elections that would allow him to add more power in Parliament and be able to approve his Projects.
“ We are willing to resubmit all reforms after December 11, 2025. ” We have submitted 1,000 but we still have to submit 3,000 more,” he said.
Regarding the economic situation, Milei insisted that with his first policies he avoided hyperinflation , and confirmed what their plan is: “Our objective is to continue lowering inflation [...] [and] finish cleaning up the [balance of the central bank]. Once the central bank is cleaned up, we are planning to lift exchange controls. . The IMF estimates that we could do it by the middle of the year.”
In that sense, he stated that lifting the stocks would allow a rapid virtuous circle of investments, which would boost growth: “We could have a lot of investment despite not having institutional changes. . . and this could be the take-off point so that next year Argentina will be growing in a strong, solid, sustainable way and with low inflation.”
In another part of the interview, Milei ruled out that his economic plan would cause a “social uprising,” unless “there is an event with political motivations or foreign infiltrators.” There, according to the Financial Times, she claimed that Venezuelan and Cuban activists had participated in the recent protests camouflaged as photographers, and assured that “left-wing governments work together to try to sabotage those who are not like them.”
Milei also spoke about his meeting with Donald Trump last weekend, during the summit of the conservative group CPAC that took place in Washington, and called it “the meeting of two friends.” In any case, beyond her undisguisable ideological closeness to the former president, she clarified that her “alignment is with the United States, whether Democrats or Republicans are in power,” beyond her preferences.
Finally, he ruled out that his economic plan is risky: “Why would it be risky, if I am doing exactly what the textbooks say?” he stressed.
