“The West is in danger!” Too big dark suit, blue shirt, satin tie, black shoes and sideburns. Although he arrived in Davos without his chainsaw, the new Argentine President Javier Milei opened his speech this Wednesday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) with a provocation of which he has the secret. “This is your first trip abroad since your free election,” Klaus Schwab, the founding president of the WEF, said when welcoming him on stage, without forgetting to congratulate Javier Milei’s sister for her contribution to his career. meteoric politics.
The cause of all evil for the Argentine president? Socialism, “which condemns us to poverty, to misery, to stagnation” and which, according to him, “has been responsible for the assassination of more than 100 million human beings”. For around fifteen minutes, Javier Milei then delivered his ultraliberal speech with a lot of statistics. Citing in turn growth figures since the 19th century and the history of his own country, the Argentinian questioned neoclassical theories which, according to him, “slow down economic growth by destroying monopolies and the creation of wealth” . “The conclusion is obvious: capitalism and freedom of enterprise are the only tools to end poverty everywhere in the world,” summarized Javier Milei, in his provocative style which took him to the head of the Latin American countries in November 2023.
The Argentine president then attacked feminism and ecology, “toxic ideas which have progressed in society”. “If we do not fight against these ideas, our only destiny will be more regulation, more socialism, more poverty, less freedom,” he said in rapid succession. Javier Milei then invited Western countries “to get back on the path to prosperity, freedom, limited government and respect for private property.”
The Argentine president finally spoke directly to business leaders gathered in Davos, urging them not to be afraid. “You are the real heroes,” he chanted. The State is not the solution, it is the problem.”
His speech, concluded with a vituperative “Long live freedom in the name of God!”, surprised part of the audience, even though they had come specially to attend a show. At the end, no question-and-answer session with a WEF leader, as is tradition – even the Chinese Prime Minister complied on Tuesday. Rather than leaving the stage backstage, Javier Milei preferred to get off the stage and treat himself to a bath, not from the crowd, but from cameras, microphones and other mobile phones.
