Why young Argentines are returning to a more postive future

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Here are Milei’s 60 key measures. Read only the bold lines to get the gist of each point.

Economy and inflation

• He stopped a hyperinflation spiral that was already underway. Without this, most Argentines would have become poor or destitute.
• He achieved a fiscal and quasi‑fiscal surplus from his first month in office, with a zero‑deficit policy. Only a handful of countries run persistent surpluses.
• He ended money printing after six months in power. This aims to bring monthly inflation close to zero by late 2026.
• Annual inflation fell from about 211% to around 31.5%. Official poverty rates dropped from roughly 57% to around 27%, taking millions out of poverty.
• Public spending was cut by about 30%. Tens of thousands of public jobs and nine ministries were eliminated, with a further 5% in provincial spending targeted for cuts.

Roads, rail and transport

• Argentina is privatising over 9,000 km of national highways through toll concessions. By 2026, key routes in several provinces will be under private management.
• New toll concessions (Stage II‑B) cover more than 2,500 km on strategic “Mediterranean,” “Puntano,” and port access corridors. Earlier stages granted around 2,500 km total.
• The new road model eliminates state subsidies and finances works through tolls only. Private operators cover about 20% of the network that carries 80% of the traffic.
• Provincial and municipal roads can also be concessioned and tolled under local schemes. National Roads oversees service quality in the federal concession network.
• The entire railway system is being prepared for renovation and privatisation or concessions. Congress has resisted some privatisation attempts so far.

State‑owned firms, airlines and airports

• He launched a major program to privatise, concession, or part-privatise around 50 state‑owned companies. Congress blocked eight of them in the Bases Law debate.
• Aerolíneas Argentinas offered its employees a profit‑sharing scheme with reduced political appointments. The airline reportedly moved from heavy losses to operating profits by 2024–2025.
• The airline is renewing its fleet with 15 new aircraft, funded by its own funds. The privatisation path remains open.
• Thirteen airports are being modernised under 15 projects with a budget of about US$500 million in the 2026 budget.
• He repealed the rental law, bringing many rental properties back onto the market. Easier eviction for non‑payment restored landlords’ incentives to rent.

Aviation, media and digitalisation

• He implemented an open‑skies policy and liberalised catering and luggage services. More airlines and service providers can now enter the market.
• He shut down the state news agency Télam, fired its staff, and ended government propaganda spending. Running costs were in the billions of pesos per year.
• He approved a money‑laundering amnesty that allowed undeclared funds to enter the formal economy. About US$2 billion came in, below expectations due to legal uncertainty and past confiscations.
• He simplified vehicle buying and selling by digitising registrations and reducing bureaucracy. This is part of a broader “Digital Nation” push.
• He enabled private satellite internet (e.g., Starlink) nationwide at no cost to the state. Previous state‑backed networks were costly and had patchy coverage.

Big‑tech and identity services

• He attracted a planned US$25 billion investment in AI data centres in Patagonia. Cooling is cheaper there due to the climate and energy conditions.
• He streamlined issuance and renewal of ID cards and driver’s licenses, enabling online renewals. This mirrors Chile‑style digital government services.
• He is creating a voluntary “Military Labour Service” to train people in trades who lack formal education.

Pensions, labor and crime

• He sent a bill to eliminate privileged political pensions, including his own. The Senate rejected it.
• He is implementing a deep labour reform to reduce informality and spur job creation. Workers would gain more freedom to negotiate hours, vacations, and union membership.dpaminvestments+1
• The reform aims to curb abusive labour lawsuits and standardise compensation. Lower labour taxes and contribution caps are designed to cut costs and boost hiring.
• New training systems will keep workers up‑to‑date with technology, and collective bargaining fees are capped. Union officials must work most of their hours rather than operate full‑time as functionaries.
• He is reforming the Penal Code to increase security and reduce crime, thereby attracting investment and creating jobs.

Environment, tax amnesties and youth crime

• He is changing the glacier law so that each southern province controls the use and protection of its glaciers.
• He enacted the Tax Innocence Law (formerly Legal Certainty) to legalise previously hidden savings. Around US$180 billion “under the mattress” can now enter the formal system.
• He passed the Juvenile Criminal Law, lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 13. The goal is to rehabilitate young offenders before they become hardened criminals.​

Investment regimes and taxation

• He enacted the RIGI, a large‑scale investment regime for projects over US$100 million. It has drawn tens of billions into mining and energy, with a medium-sized RIMI under study.
• By late 2025, he had reduced or eliminated around 20 taxes. Export withholdings, “country tax,” and various production and employment taxes were cut or scrapped.
• He allowed the import of used machinery and equipment to lower capital costs.
• He abolished the need to re‑certify imported products already approved in the EU. EU‑approved goods are automatically accepted in Argentina.
• He removed taxes and tariffs on purchases up to US$1,000 per month through banks. Small consumers can now buy electronics and appliances abroad more cheaply.

Comprehensive tax and currency reform

• He drafted a sweeping tax reform to cut about 155 taxes down to just 6. SMEs would no longer need accountants for routine compliance, and tax enforcement would shrink.
• He removed currency controls for individuals in April 2025 and for companies later in 2025. Capital can now move more freely.
• He introduced a floating exchange rate within moving bands. The Central Bank only intervenes at the edges.
• He legalised currency competition between pesos and dollars. People can price, trade and keep accounts in either currency.
• He reduced the number of different dollar exchange rates from over ten to four, now almost aligned. Individuals can buy as many dollars or euros as they wish.

Tax administration and credit

• He replaced AFIP with a new tax agency, ARCA, ending the presumption that all taxpayers are criminals. Businesses face fewer reports, inspections, and arbitrary fines.
• Reporting thresholds for commercial operations jumped to a minimum of about US$50 million. Everyday transactions no longer trigger automatic flags.
• The state no longer absorbs all local bank credit; banks now lend mainly to private firms and households. Mortgage lending and business credit have revived.
• Country risk fell from around 2,500 to about 500 basis points. Lower risk means cheaper financing and more credit at better rates.

Deregulation, debt and subsidies

• He created a Ministry of Deregulation led by Federico Sturzenegger that has modified or repealed over 10,000 regulations. Argentina aims to become one of the most economically free countries.
• He paid down large overdue debts in electricity, water, gas, and transport by phasing out subsidies. IMF debt has reportedly fallen by tens of billions of dollars.
• Banks are now fully focused on financing the private sector instead of the state. This supports business expansion and social mobility.

Social policy, subsidies and politics

• He cut out “poverty intermediaries” who skimmed up to half of welfare payments and forced people to protest. Poor households now receive more of what is intended for them.
• He scrapped party‑list ballots and adopted a Single Ballot Law for national elections. This cut costs and reduced vote‑buying.
• He backed a bill to criminalise officials who support laws that break fiscal balance. The Senate shelved it.
• He launched the May Pact with 20 governors, binding them into a ten‑point reform program and tax‑cut agenda. Governors now co‑manage aspects of national policy.

Trade and international agreements

• Argentina signed a trade deal with the US to export 1,628 products at low tariffs. This is seen as a step toward a broader free trade agreement.
• Agribusiness exports are expected to double, with the US already ordering 80,000 tons of beef in four shipments. Mining and energy exports are projected to surge to tens of billions of dollars.
• He supported the EU–Mercosur trade agreement and is pushing for Senate approval. Argentina aims to be the first South American country to ratify it.
• Argentina signed a cooperation and technology‑transfer agreement with Israel. It covers disability rehabilitation and mutual recognition of work years for pensions.
• He ended free education and health care for foreign students who then left the country without contributing.

Universities, soup kitchens and health fraud

• He moved against corruption in public universities that had not filed financial statements for years. The University of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo was closed as a political shell.
• He shut down many soup kitchens that existed only on paper or served a handful of people while billing for hundreds. Supplies were often resold in supermarkets.
• He ordered a re‑registration of disability pensions after massive fraud, cutting fake benefits to better fund genuine cases.
• He did the same for expensive cancer medications, after discovering overpricing and black‑market resale. Savings are redirected to real patients.
• At Garrahan Hospital, he introduced biometric access, cut inflated union‑brokered contracts, and improved care and equipment. This model is being extended to other public hospitals.

Foreign policy and legal battles

• He pressured Venezuela to release Argentine journalist “Ravana” after over a year in prison. The release came in mid‑February.
• He is fighting a US$16.5 billion lawsuit over YPF’s expropriation, seeking to win or sharply reduce the judgment. The case centres on unpaid compensation to minority shareholders.
• He sent Congress a bill for accelerated depreciation of capital goods. This lets firms deduct investments faster, improving cash flow and making marginal projects viable in capital‑intensive sectors.

Milei’s political evolution

• He has shifted from an irascible outsider economist to a more disciplined statesman. His tone has moderated, and he intervenes more directly in political negotiations.aberdeeninvestments+1
• After a defeat in the 2025 Buenos Aires provincial elections, he acknowledged mistakes and reorganised his team. He sidelined his sister, Karina, and other controversial figures over allegations of corruption.
• He strengthened ties with governors through the May Pact and placed key allies in Congress and the Senate to build consensus. Security Minister Patricia Bullrich now plays a central role in negotiations.
• With a stronger position in Congress, he is more willing to negotiate while continuing his cultural and economic reform agenda. A new kind of political leader has emerged in Argentina.

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