For his first outing on the international scene, the new Argentine President Javier Milei, self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist”, launched Wednesday in a speech in Davos a virulent defense of unbridled capitalism, affirming that “the Western world” was threatened by “socialism”.
Although he did not meet his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who spoke an hour after him at the podium, he took advantage of the trip for a bilateral with the head of the IMF and a discussion on the Falklands with the British Minister of Affairs.
And he took part in a few selfies in the corridors of the convention center.
In his speech, combative and peppered with references borrowed from the far right, Javier Milei presented capitalism, “attacked by leftist doxa”, as “the only economic system capable of putting an end to famine and poverty”.
“The main leaders of the Western world have unfortunately in recent years abandoned the idea of freedom in favor of different versions of what we call collectivism” – ideas that “lead inexorably to socialism and therefore to poverty,” he said. he proclaimed from the podium.
He was speaking to the World Economic Forum after launching a series of drastic reforms and deregulation measures in the wake of his election victory in late November, as Argentina experiences spectacular inflation of more than 200% in 2023 .
Milei notably devalued the peso by more than 50%, ended price controls, halved the number of ministries, and launched an aggressive savings program.
Javier Milei, who has been compared to former US President Donald Trump for his unfiltered positions and style, did not hesitate to denounce “radical feminism”, “social justice”, or “the bloody agenda of abortion”, “harmful ideas which have taken root in our societies”.
His speech was all the more scrutinized as his personality intrigues and his foreign vision questions, between trumpeted “values” and pragmatism.
He displayed for Argentina his “model based on the fundamental principles of libertarianism: the defense of life, liberty and property”.
And to say to businessmen and entrepreneurs: “do not be intimidated by parasites who live only from the State”, “do not capitulate to the advance of the State, which is not a solution but the issue “.
“You are heroes” and “you can count on Argentina as your unconditional ally”, he declared again, before concluding his speech with his usual “long live freedom, damn it!” »
On X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk approved with a message “true!” » a video of the speech, in the middle of a series of messages of support from figures of the American extreme right.
“Plant the idea of freedom”
Many of the Argentine president’s positions are in complete contradiction with those defended by the World Economic Forum. Javier Milei considers, for example, that humans are not responsible for climate change.
Introducing him on stage, the founder of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, however spoke of an “extraordinary person” and of reforms having given “new life to Argentina”, “even if sometimes some will speak of radical methods “.
“I came to plant the idea of freedom,” Javier Milei explained to journalists after his speech.
The 53-year-old ultraliberal economist claims to have received more than 60 requests for a face-to-face interview.
He finally had a discussion with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to which Argentina owes 44 billion US dollars.
A meeting described by the AFP as “excellent” by the Head of State, who ensures that he and Mme Georgieva “will continue to work together.”
The head of the IMF spoke for her part of a “very good” interview and underlined on X the “decisive measures” taken by Argentina to notably “reduce inflation”.
The Argentine president also met the head of British diplomacy David Cameron to discuss the Falkland Islands, at the heart of a dispute with the United Kingdom over sovereignty.
The two leaders also spoke of “deepening trade ties,” according to Mr. Milei.
Milei, his head of diplomacy Diana Mondino and his Minister of Economy, Luis Caputo, arrived in Switzerland in an airliner – a choice presented as a reflection of his austerity efforts.