Buenos Aires (Argentina) (AFP) - Argentine President Javier Milley said Wednesday that austerity measures are "non-negotiable", in response to a question about whether he intends to ease his fiscal policies ahead of elections scheduled for next year.

Published on: 03/09/2026 - 03:31

Fighting inflation has been one of Milley's main goals since he took office in 2023, when the country's annual inflation rate was in the triple digits.

However, his tough cost-cutting measures have sparked more anger than usual in recent months, as consumption, employment and household debt rates have been hit.

In a speech he delivered before a liberal forum in Buenos Aires, Milley said that "many" asked him to ease pressure ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for 2027, adding, "We will not do that."

He explained, "The financial result is not negotiable, and we will not negotiate monetary policy either, because we will not stop until we succeed in eliminating inflation."

However, Milley acknowledged that in the absence of results “it becomes difficult to get support.”

The annual inflation rate fell to 33.8 percent by July, partly due to sharp cuts in public funding made by the right-wing administration.

The Industrial Business Association of Argentina warned on Wednesday that “the economy is not measured by the inflation rate alone,” noting that 90,000 jobs in the industrial sector have been lost in three years.

© 2026 AFP

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