Paris (France) (AFP) - The Argentine president, Javier Milei, vindicated his economic policy this Friday and maintained that "he is writing a page in the history" of Argentina, upon receiving an award from a private forum in Paris.

First modification: 02/10/2026 - 21:24

The Paris Economic Forum, which brings together business leaders, decided to award this ultra-liberal economist with the "Public Action Prize" for "the coherence and breadth of the economic program he promoted as president."

Milei was received with applause from hundreds of attendees, including French businessmen, at this private event, at the exclusive Automobile Club of France, an AFP journalist noted. In the end, many wanted to take a 'selfie' with the president.

At the beginning of his speech of about 40 minutes, the tenant of the Casa Rosada thanked him for rewarding "a task that is quite thankless" and that has costs, such as the "lies" that "stain the good name and honor (...) of one's own family."

"But there is also an element for which it is worth doing it: it is that one is writing a page of history," he said.

Milei began a three-day visit to France on Wednesday in search of European investments for a stabilized economy, but whose recovery and benefits have been delayed, to the point of sowing doubts about his eventual re-election within a year.

The so-called Argentina Week in Paris before European businessmen resulted in "27 billion dollars in investment announcements," the Argentine ambassador to France, Ian Sielecki, wrote on the social network X.

In the March edition in New York it was "more than 16 billion dollars," the Argentine president stressed on Thursday.

Since he came to power at the end of 2023, with a program of massive cuts symbolized in the chainsaw with which he campaigned, inflation went from 161% year-on-year to 33%, public accounts were balanced and foreign exchange reserves were partially rebuilt.

But these almost three years of austerity bled industry, employment and consumption. Poverty rebounded in the first half of 2026, affecting almost one in three Argentines, and the economy contracted 0.6% between April and June due to a drop in consumption and investment.

During his speech this Friday, Milei highlighted Argentina's growth and defended having lifted "12 million human beings" out of poverty, but conceded a self-criticism on this last point.

"I'm not saying that the photo is good, the photo is still horrible, the photo is still horrible, but it is without a doubt the best film in Argentine history," he said.

The president also had words of gratitude for his "giant" ministers and, especially, for "the loved ones": "They are the ones who endure the collateral effects of having taken the courage to have decided to change the decadent history of a country to make it great again," he said excitedly, with his voice breaking.

© 2026 AFP

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