the first 100 days of the Milei government

The practice of evaluating a government for its first 100 days has origins in the United States and dates back to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who during this period worked with Congress to pass a series of legislation that included programs to alleviate unemployment, regulate financial markets, provide assistance to farmers and establish social welfare programs.

This energetic and swift action by the new president became known as the “New Deal” and had a significant impact on public perception and set a precedent for evaluating the performance of any government in its early stages. Recently, Javier Milei completed 100 days of government in Argentina and is following proposals completely opposite to the New Deal. What are the main results of this beginning of government?

The Argentine Confederation of Medium-sized Companies (CAME) released a series of worrying indices for the Argentine economy, in several different sectors. In the pharmaceutical sector, the drop in sales in general was 45%, in addition to an increase in medication prices of more than 100%. Complementing this index, the Argentine Pharmaceutical Confederation (COFA) reported that the medicines that fell the most in sales were those for the respiratory system (14.9%), anti-infectives (12.84%), hormonal (8.13%) and for the nervous system (7.20%). In other words, there is a serious public health risk in Argentina due to rising prices, which means Argentines have to choose which medicines they can take.

Likewise, according to CAME, food and beverage sales in Argentina fell by 33% in February. As well as the footwear and leather goods sectors with 21.4% less sales and tools with 28.2% also lower. In the latter, the reflection is related to Milei’s decree that paralyzed all public works. By the way, the construction sector is the most affected since the arrival of the current Argentine president: more than 60 thousand construction workers have lost their jobs and thousands of companies in the sector are at risk of going bankrupt. Poverty in Argentina reached, in January 2024, the worst rates in the last 20 years, with 57% of the population living below the poverty line.

In the political aspect, the Milei government suffered a resounding defeat before Congress when it was unable to approve its “omnibus” law, a set of laws to liberalize and deregulate the market, in addition to granting unilateral powers to the President of the Republic to issue decrees that would alter the structures of the Argentine State. Still within the scope of politics, there is a growing and dangerous friction between Milei and the governors of the provinces, which has reached the point of considering the creation of their own currency by the provinces and a possible stoppage and distribution of oil production to the capital. . These tensions occur within a growing scenario of urban violence and a feeling of insecurity, leading to a movement towards increasing use of force, whether to combat crime or against demonstrations against the government. The economy is doing badly, but democratic deterioration has advanced.

It is important to remember that Milei promised, in his inauguration speech, a complicated and even worsening period for the Argentine economic scenario. At this point, it is possible to say that he fulfilled his promise. These first 100 days did not fuel the hope of better days in Argentina, but Milei asked for a safe conduct for his actions as they will lead Argentina to be one of the richest countries in the world in 30 years. But as Keynes warned, whom Milei hates, in the long run, we will all be dead.

Guilherme Frizzera He has a PhD in International Relations and coordinator of International Relations at UNINTER.

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