In an interview with the Financial Times, Javier Milei said he didn’t need Congress to save the economy

A few hours after speaking for the first time as president before the National Congress at the opening of the ordinary sessions, President Javier Milei gave an extensive interview to the Financial Times. The president has said that he is willing to overlook hostile lawmakers who have blocked his proposals to implement the economic reforms that he and his group propose, and that he will make the reforms “by fiat” if necessary. He has determined that he does not need legislators to implement his radical austerity plan.

From the Casa Rosada, the president assured the director of the FT that he is making faster progress than expected with a fiscal adjustment so drastic it has no equal. “not only in Argentina but in the world.”

According to American media, the president assured that he does not need Congress to save the economy and anticipated that the country will be able to “grow strong” next year.

“As long as Congress has its current composition, we believe it will be difficult to pass reforms, because what has become clear with the economic reform project is that politicians have no problem damaging the interests of Argentines in maintaining their privileges,” he warned.

“There are other reforms we can do by decree… changing the application of the laws, and we will do all of this,” Milei said during the interview published Thursday and signed by Ciara Nugent and Michael Stott.

In this sense he underlined that approximately a third of the 1,000 proposed reform measures are contained in an emergency decree which will remain in effect unless both houses of Congress vote to reject it.

“We are willing to resubmit all reforms after December 11, 2025. We have submitted 1,000 but we still need to submit another 3,000,” he said. And he made it clear that he will continue to gradually present reforms to Congress to denounce what he called the political games of the political “caste” of professional politicians in the country. “Whoever votes against will be identified as an enemy of change”he has declared.

Remaining on the economic question, Milei believes that the elimination of exchange controls would open a virtuous circle of economic recovery. “We could have a lot of investments despite not having institutional changes. . . and this could be the take-off point for “Next year Argentina will grow strongly, solidly, sustainably and with low inflation.” .

Milei said Argentina will be able to do so next year. “If we maintain a zero deficit, obviously we can achieve that,” she said.

Despite rising poverty levels, according to the FT, Milei remains confident in her popularity and outspokenness with Argentinians before the elections on the need for painful economic change that they will manage to make it.

“The word that best represents this government is hope”he said, pointing out that polls show a growing percentage of Argentines believe the economy will improve in six months.

Analysts warn that the key to Milei’s success will be how long poorer Argentines, who have already endured rampant price increases, tolerate such measures. Argentina’s trade union confederation has already called a nationwide general strike against its government and several smaller protests have taken place.

SN