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5 min readChainsaw sputtering: Milei’s experiment falters
When The Economist’s Latin America correspondent, Kinley Salmon, walked into Javier Milei’s office in Buenos Aires, he noticed something peculiar. Right in front of his desk sat the president’s famous campaign chainsaw—the symbol of his promise to slash government spending and taxes. Milei told Salmon the chainsaw is “working all day long” and that he’s “looking forward to really letting it rip” after he gets re-elected next year. But the man wielding it seemed different from the one Salmon interviewed in late 2024: more tired, possibly struggling with back pain, still capable of charm and jokes but “volatile as he was then, perhaps even more so.” He spoke of Argentina embracing artificial intelligence “like nowhere else” and becoming a world power “like the United States perhaps in just 20 years.” With a grin, he told Salmon: “Get ready for Milei reloaded.”
The inflation success that voters no longer care about
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:16) **Introduction: Milei’s Chainsaw and a Delicate Moment** - Host Rosie Bloor sets up the episode's main topic: an assessment of Javier Milei's economic experiment in Argentina a year before the election.
- 2 (03:21) **The Reality Check: Jobs and Wages Replace Inflation as Voters’ Top Concern** - The conversation pivots to Milei's actual record and the shifting priorities of the Argentine electorate.
- 3 (04:13) **Acknowledged Successes: Inflation, Poverty, and Market Confidence** - The discussion details the genuine achievements of Milei's first term.
- 4 (05:18) **Foreign Policy Payoffs: Trump Alignment and Chinese Pragmatism** - The segment analyzes Milei's foreign policy as a source of strength.
- 5 (06:23) **The Core Challenge: Slow, Jobless Growth and High Interest Rates** - The analysis focuses on the structural economic problems Milei faces.
- 6 (07:46) **Milei’s Denial and the Falklands Distraction** - The correspondent describes Milei’s political tactics and defensive posture.
- 7 (09:23) **Electoral Math: Low Approval, Weak Rivals, and a Wildcard** - The segment assesses Milei's chances a year out from the election.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
President Javier Milei has tamed inflation and improved the lot of many Argentines. But an election season approaches, and the promised economic and wage growth are not materialising. As LIV Golf files for bankruptcy, we ask where it went wrong in trying to disrupt the sport. And the growth that is good for India’s people is bad for its elephants.
Guests and host:
- Kinley Salmon, Latin America correspondent
- Henry Tricks, US technology editor
- Abhishek Kumar, India writer
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Argentina, Javier Milei
- golf, LIV Golf, Saudi Arabia
- India, elephants
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