MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Milei pledges to leave Casa Rosada dead before surrendering Argentina's zero deficit

A survey found that six months into Milei's administration, the government's support was intact among Libertarian voters

Argentine President Javier Milei said Wednesday morning that “they will have to take me out of the [Casa] Rosada dead” if they are “to break the fiscal deficit.” The Libertarian leader made those remarks during his speech at an event in Buenos Aires ahead of his trip to Italy to attend the G7 Summit. ”We are going to make a bigger reform than the one made by Carlos Menem because ours is three times more (so),” he added.

”I am not going to surrender the zero deficit. If the initial conditions were worse than in 2001, in social and activity terms, it should be a catastrophe. We made a bigger adjustment and it was only a 7% drop. Everything should be blown up and they complain about (Sandra) Pettovello's management,“ the President also explained.

Milei also highlighted his administration's dwindling inflation and tackling insecurity. ”We made the largest fiscal adjustment in the history of mankind and only in three months. Nothing is impossible if you want to achieve it. Not like the communist dwarf who lives with fiscal deficit and has exploited the Banco Provincia,“ he also noted with Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof in mind.

The Libertarian leader also supported the social policies undertaken by the Ministry of Human Capital and questioned the role of social organizations as intermediaries between the State and the neediest.

Minister Sandra ”Pettovello decided to interrupt the accountability with which she had worked. For that reason she was punished harshly, but she had to do it to cut off the managers of poverty,“ the President stressed. ”She took away the financing from the delinquents and, with that money, we gave twice as much assistance to the people,“ he also argued.

In Milei's view, social leaders are ”a group of crooks“ who managed soup kitchens that did not exist or who lied about their reported capacity while making ”sinister business selling the food in nearby supermarkets.“

”Whose side are we on then, on the side of the chorros (thieves) or on the side of Minister Pettovello who is fighting all of them?”

Milei also promised that if the Bases Law is passed, he would eliminate the PAIS Tax reinstated earlier in his administration.

The President also recalled that Emergency Decree (DNU) 70/23 was “still in force and if the Law comes out, we are going to make a bigger reform than the one Menem made.” In the end, “we are going to be the most liberal country in the world and in 40 years we are going to be a world power,” Milei also promised.

Despite the economic plight affecting Argentines, 63% of them were willing to support Milei until October, according to a survey released Wednesday by pollsters Taquion while 30% insist they need an urgent salary increase. The report found that six months into Milei's administration, the government's support was intact among Libertarian voters.