Madrid was the stage next weekend for a decisive gathering for liberal thought on a global scale: the Madrid Economic Forum, an event that brought together prominent figures from the economic and political spheres aligned with the ideas of freedom. With more than 7,000 attendees at the Palacio Vistalegre, the forum's grand finale was the participation of Argentine President Javier Milei, who delivered the closing speech.
True to his energetic and direct style, Milei made a striking entrance: jumping, singing, and waving his blue folder, accompanied by the iconic melody of his election campaign. The audience replied enthusiastically to his now classic rallying cry: "Long live freedom, damn it! Death to socialism!", a phrase that encapsulates the spirit of his government and his worldview.
"It's a great responsibility to be the first libertarian president in history," he stated at the beginning of his address, in which he did not hesitate to review the achievements his administration has reached in just a year and a half in office. With clarity and forcefulness, Milei asserted: "We had very ambitious goals, they said it was impossible, and after a year and a half we've exceeded all the campaign goals."
One of the most celebrated moments of his speech was when he referred to the unprecedented fiscal adjustment carried out by his administration: "They told us it was impossible to make a 5-point adjustment in a month and, well, that's what we did in Argentina," he explained. He added: "Not only was there no drop in GDP, but it rose by 6%," provoking an ovation from the audience.
Milei did not avoid the context in which he took office: "We arrived in a very critical situation, and if we hadn't adjusted [the deficit], today I wouldn't be standing here as Argentina's president," he stated emphatically. Using one of his best-known analogies, he pointed out: "Faced with that situation, it was pure chainsaw moment, but it worked."
The president also addressed the progress made against the country's historic inflation problem: "Even though we're in an election year, we lifted the controls and today the exchange rate is much closer to the lower end of the band. Again, a point for the Government," he emphasized. "Today, after those inflation rates were anticipated, they said it would remain at the 5% and 7% level. This month it's expected to break 2%. Next year, inflation in Argentina will be a thing of the past," he declared.
