Milei against the opposition: 'Congress is being held hostage by Kirchnerism'

President  Javier Milei  spoke before business leaders at the Council of the Americas, where he questioned the actions of the opposition in Congress, whom he accused of pushing for an increase in public spending.

In a politically charged speech, the president defended his government's economic direction and warned about the risks of returning to monetary issuance policies.

The meeting took place at the Alvear Palace Hotel, where the main representatives of the business sector attended. There, Milei  stated:  "Yesterday we witnessed a macabre spectacle in the National Congress. They made it clear to us once again that we are facing a Congress hijacked by Kirchnerismo. That responds to its own interests, they have only one legislative agenda: to break the National State".

The President linked the parliamentary offensive to opposition initiatives aimed at increasing resources in various sectors, such as pensions, disability funds, universities, and Garrahan Hospital. According to him, these measures seek to destabilize the fiscal balance achieved by the Executive.

Along these lines, he added:  "It is surprising to hear from these honorable Kirchnerista legislators that their spending spree is to stop the cruelty of this government, when just two years ago they left us on the brink of catastrophe".

Milei insisted that the opposition's proposals represent a step backward toward policies that caused inflation:  "To reopen the tap of monetary issuance means returning to the catastrophic path of inflationary destruction that was so hard for us to leave behind".

The head of state also defended the ongoing adjustment and emphasized that economic effort is a prerequisite for growth:  "Any hardworking Argentine understands that when it comes to growth, effort, saving, and sacrifice come first, and then the results follow. That is something a politician doesn't understand. They want to make people believe that results can appear as if by magic".

Milei's presentation  at the Council of the Americastook place in a context of political tension  after the session in the Chamber of Deputies and while the Senate continues with its own legislative agenda. In addition, it occurs in the final stretch before the Buenos Aires and national legislative elections in October, which reinforces the campaign profile of the presidential speech.

This is the president's second participation in this forum since taking office. On the same day, Chief of Cabinet Guillermo Francos and Minister of Economy Luis "Toto" Caputo also spoke.