With his frontal style and despite the resistance of the parliament, the new Argentine right-wing president Javier Miley is not giving up on his ultra-liberal “revolution” and is massively cutting public spending without worrying about social costs, reports France Presse. on Monday in a comment, reports Agerpres.

“No half-measures!”, “Non-negotiable zero deficit!”, these milestones set by the “anarcho-capitalist” hyperactive social media president have remained unchanged since his December 10 inauguration. The first balance after 100 days shows “light and shadows”, somewhere between the improvement of economic indicators and the increase of the social price.

The chainsaw that Javier Miley carried during the election campaign to illustrate the need to cut public spending seems to be working non-stop now to stop what he describes as the “orgy of public spending” that he believes is responsible for the structural budget deficit. and chronic inflation.

The number of ministries has been cut in half to just nine, about 50,000 government jobs have been abolished, public works have been frozen, and social programs and public media are subject to strict scrutiny.

Some measures have a real impact, others are more symbolic, but the Argentine government is keen to highlight the results. So, in January, the state budget was positive, which has not happened in Argentina since 2011, and inflation is decreasing (25% in December, 20% in January, 13% in February). However, Milei promises a real breakthrough only in the middle of the year.

Independent economist Marina dal Poggetto confirms that public accounts are “in order”, “stabilization is working, even better than we could have imagined, but there are doubts about the ability to govern” in the long term.

For his part, Javier Miley is satisfied, at least for now. “They said that I would not last 15 days, not even a month. I’ve been here for three months,” rejoices the new ultra-liberal president, who intends to fully implement his shock therapy plan.

The poverty rate reached 57%

But certain measures of this plan, namely the devaluation of the peso by 54%, the liberalization of prices, the cancellation of subsidies for transport and energy, consistently reduce purchasing power. That’s down 18% in just two months, with consumption and economic activity increasingly anemic.

In addition, the poverty rate, according to a private estimate, reached 57% against 41% five months ago. And among others, unsustainable for a large part of the population, the increase in the price of medicines.

“People are fully aware that we’re going through a very difficult time, but they’re starting to see a way out, a light at the end of the tunnel,” Milley insists, citing polls that still give him nearly 50% positive results. image.

“The balance of the scene is light and shadow,” says Carlos Malamud, an analyst at the Real Insituto Elcano think tank. “The road is difficult, the coming months will be tense and hectic,” he predicts.

“Minority President”

Announcing the results with concrete figures, Millais acknowledges that his liberal revolution faces a fragmented parliament that is, at best, ambivalent about the reforms he is demanding. Twice this parliament, in which Miley’s libertarian formation is only the third political force, has rejected ambitious deregulation projects (more than 300 provisions) submitted by the new government, especially the “Omnibus Law” and the “Megadecree”, the latter of which was further challenged in court due to alleged unconstitutionality.

“Lion”, the self-image that Mili often evokes, thus reveals the reality of parliamentary democracy in which he must create a majority and a consensus. He “is a ‘minority president’, without a parliamentary majority, without allies, without mayors: a rarity in the political system,” notes political scientist Federico Zapata.

“We have a president who intimidates, intimidates, threatens,” moderate opposition leader Martin Lusto remarked at the time, criticizing the brash, uncompromising style that characterizes the new president.

The latter also confirms that he is not ready to make concessions. “A gladiator never gives up”, – this is how Javier Miley reacted after the failures in the parliament.

“Divine mission” to lead the country out of the “philosophy of Satan – socialism”

He caused consternation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he declared that “the West is in danger” because of socialism. However, apart from his expressions of sympathy for Donald Trump or his extended visit to Israel – during the election campaign he admitted that he intended to convert to Judaism – foreign policy was not at the forefront of his early period in office.

Milea “has been assigned a divine mission” to lead Argentina “to God’s philosophy,” which is liberalism, and to remove it from “Satan’s philosophy, which is socialism,” explains Diego Giacomini, an economist close to him.