Milei spoke at the IDEA 2026 Colloquium and referred to the 2027 elections: “My rival is myself”

President Javier Milei participated this Wednesday in the 62nd IDEA Colloquium, one of the main gatherings of the Argentine business community, where he defended the economic direction of his Government and anticipated a strong acceleration of reforms in case of obtaining new electoral support in 2027.

The meeting takes place from September 30 to October 2 at the Sheraton Hotel in Mar del Plata, under the slogan “Investing in History. 20 years: from promise to power.” The organization brings together business, political, academic, and social leaders to discuss the necessary conditions to sustain economic growth over the next two decades. IDEA represents about 600 companies from various sectors that together produce nearly 50% of the GDP and private employment in the country.

Milei participated via videoconference from Paris, France, where he leads Argentina Week alongside members of his Cabinet and a delegation of governors and business leaders. During his speech to the main representatives of the private sector, the president focused much of his presentation on Argentina's growth prospects and the reforms he intends to deepen in the coming years.

In this context, the President stated that Argentina could once again become a world power, although he warned that this process will depend on maintaining a steady economic course. “Argentina could converge to be a power like the United States in 30 or 40 years, but that requires systematic work and discipline,” he affirmed.

The president maintained that there are possibilities to accelerate this process and called for “patience” to observe the results of growth. He also criticized the leaders and journalists of Kirchnerism and the left, whom he described as “lunatics who want to break everything,” referring to the political difficulties facing his program.

On economic matters, Milei defended the results achieved by his administration and assured that inflation has been reduced by 90%. He also highlighted the policies implemented by the Ministries of Deregulation and Human Capital and reiterated his commitment to opening the Argentine economy to the world.

As he explained, the goal is to move away from a structure concentrated solely on an internal market of 48 million inhabitants and allow Argentine companies to compete within a global market of approximately 8 billion people.

Looking ahead to the presidential elections of 2027, Milei stated that Argentines will have to choose between continuing with the current economic program or returning to the model applied over the last few decades. “Next year, Argentines will have to choose the path that continues growth and can generate the largest expansion of wealth in Argentine history, or return to the failed model of the past that has been failing for 100 years,” he asserted.

The President also stated that an electoral victory could significantly change the composition of Congress and facilitate the advancement of new reforms. “From December 11, 2027, the speed at which reforms will be implemented will be unique and unprecedented in the world,” he claimed.

When asked about potential opponents like Axel Kicillof or Myriam Bregman, Milei asserted that he does not focus his strategy on his political competitors. “My rival is myself,” he replied, before questioning the economic proposals of those factions.

During the interview, the president also referred to the recent ruling of the Supreme Court regarding the Land Law and defended the independence of the Judiciary. “We are in a republic and there is a division of powers that works,” he stated. He then added: “I think it's fantastic that the Court rules what it deems correct regarding the National Constitution.”

Finally, Milei anticipated that a potential second term could include new structural reforms. Among them, he mentioned a pension reform, conditioned on a reduction of country risk, an acceleration of growth, and an improvement in the labor market. He also noted that the complete opening of the foreign exchange market for companies is part of the next objectives of the economic program.