Policy Brief - The Election of Javier Milei in Argentina: Context, Ambition,

The appointment of Eduardo Massa as head of a large ministry that included the economy in July 2022 by President Alberto Fernandez was an attempt to place a politician with a good reputation and high level of credibility in the market at the helm of the national economy, and to try to save the agreement with the IMF. [...] Still, the competitiveness of Massa in the elections, despite the dismal economic performance of the government he was representing, was a testimony to the strength of Peronism in the country. [...] These major reforms resulted in substantial improvements to the standards of living of the poor and the needy, and created a movement characterized by the favoring of economic nationalism and a strong public sector, and which relied to a large extent on the strong support of unions and unionized workers. [...] That was a serious setback to the President, since the whole package will need to restart in the legislative process from the very beginning, which will cause a substantial delay to his agenda of reform, which the President needs to bring to fruition as quickly as possible to shorten the period of sacrifices and start an eventual new and virtual cycle of growth. [...] About the Policy Center for the New South The Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) is a Moroccan think tank aiming to contribute to the improvement of economic and social public policies that challenge Morocco and the rest of Africa as integral parts of the global South.