Pope tells Milei economy must serve people as he opens first public speech in Argentina

The Story

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Argentina from Uruguay on Sunday and used his first public speech in the country to deliver a diplomatic but pointed message that political leaders should put people ahead of economic considerations.

Speaking to officials, diplomats and civic leaders upon arrival in Buenos Aires, Leo said: “The economy must serve the person, not the person the economy.”

Leo framed his remarks as a call for gentler politics in a deeply polarized Argentina, saying democracy depends on “careful use of words” and “the ability to see those who think differently as fellow citizens with whom we share a common future.”

In a ceremony that included politicians, diplomats and representatives from across the ideological spectrum, President Javier Milei struck a rarer conciliatory tone as he welcomed Leo and said he hoped the trip would “strengthen the faith, renew hope and bring a message of peace to all Argentines.”

Milei, who has described himself as an anarcho-capitalist, had publicly set his presidency on slashing public spending to tame inflation while portraying social justice as “a horror,” a “moral aberration” and “theft.”

While acknowledging Milei’s free-market instincts, Leo also urged that growth must benefit those who are disadvantaged, including the unemployed, retirees and “all those who, despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household’s needs.”

The speech came as Milei’s austerity drive has produced a rare budget surplus and reduced annual inflation from 200% to about 32%, though real wages remain below late-2023 levels and the government’s cost-cutting has coincided with the disappearance of roughly 300,000 formal jobs.

Outside Argentina’s Congress, retirees who say they cannot afford medicine have protested every Wednesday for more than two years, including complaints tied to an average monthly pension of $510.

In welcoming Leo, Milei also paid homage to the late Pope Francis, calling him an “exceptional figure” and “undoubtedly the most important Argentine in history,” whose teachings continue to resonate.

Leo’s remarks also addressed issues raised by critics of Milei’s approach to the economy and social policy, including funding for public universities. Leo said giving young people a future in Argentina means “investing in education, vocational training, universities and research,” as the country’s universities have faced funding cuts of about 40% since 2023.

The university funding fight has been tied to protests involving professors and students, who are demanding the government honour a law passed by Congress to restore professors’ salaries and boost scholarship and research funding after earlier cuts, with the dispute also continuing in court.

Leo also warned that a nation must ask “where it has failed when its young people have to leave their homeland in order to make their dreams come true,” referencing findings from a survey of nearly 1,200 final-year medical students and doctors in training published last year that found more than 80% had considered emigrating and nearly a third had started applying for foreign citizenship.

He further said Argentina’s natural resources must serve “the well-being of communities,” language that could be read as a warning as Milei seeks investment tied to oil, gas and mining.

On artificial intelligence, Leo said rapid advances in the technology demand “careful consideration of the consequences of their application and the responsibilities of those who decide how to use them.”

The concerns about AI come as Milei’s government has courted tech companies to build data centres in southern Patagonia while also embracing AI for policing, a practice rights groups warn could enable mass surveillance.

Leo’s Argentina visit is described as the most politically delicate part of his three-nation South American tour, including the complicated legacy of Pope Francis, who never returned home during his 12-year pontificate.