Milei hits back at Pope Leo's call for dialogue

President Javier Milei said Sunday that he was willing to engage in dialogue with different sectors of the country, but argued that political debate in Argentina was not conducted with intellectual honesty, as he responded to a critique from Pope Leo XIV during the historic papal visit. 

Milei, 56, argued that the opposition had voted for 40 government bills last year that sought to undermine macroeconomic stability, highlighting his pledge for fiscal balance.

Minutes after Pope Leo XIV called on Argentina's political leaders to promote dialogue and democratic coexistence, the head of state responded to the pontiff's appeal in his own style oin comments reported by the LN+ television channel.

“I am not against any of those things. That is the malicious characterisation put forward by part of the political system, with the complicity of the press. I think debates should be intellectually honest, and in Argentina they are not intellectually honest," argued Milei.

“They are characterised by an appalling lack of conceptual rigour. The truth is that this is a debate steeped in demagoguery.

"I could cite hundreds of examples. In light of the results of our successful fiscal policy, there are people who support it but always have a ‘but’. Every ‘but’ means an increase in spending.

"I don't know whether they do it because they are intellectually dishonest, ignorant or malicious. The situation is clear. I am willing to engage in dialogue. But last year they voted for 40 bills in an attempt to break macroeconomic stability,” Milei told the national news channel.

Moving on to the positive, the President said he had been “moved” by the Pope's historic visit to Argentina, describing it as “something truly overwhelming."

“During the part where I have to walk alone along the red carpet to wait for him [at Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires, when the Pope arrived], up until that point everything seemed like conventional protocol. But when I started watching him come down the aircraft steps, it was a very powerful emotion,” he admitted.

Speaking about the private meeting he held with the pontiff at the Casa Rosada presidential palace, Milei said: “The truth is that we discussed issues relating to the moral foundations of politics. We basically spoke about the role of the Holy Scriptures in the decision-making process, something I have been working on. We also discussed natural law.”

Stinging critique

In his first speech since arriving in Argentina, earlier in the evening, Pope Leo had delivered a stinging critique of Milei's government, insisting growth must benefit all in a speech met with rapturous applause.

"The economy must be at the service of the people, rather than people being at the service of the economy," said the Catholic leader.

Leo stressed the plight of those who, "despite hard work, nonetheless struggle to meet their household's needs."

He spoke out in defence of the poor and pensioners, insisting that "particular concern be shown for those affected by illness, dependency and disability" – a veiled reference to the government's controversial cuts to disability assistance that have prompted weekly protests outside the National Congress building in Buenos Aires.

Leo also told Milei that strengthening democracy required a "willingness to listen" and the "careful use of words."

Milei, for his part, said his government was working to avoid "punishing the Argentines of tomorrow in order to benefit the Argentines of today."

Appeals for unity

The visit is the first by a pontiff to Argentina in nearly four decades, and Leo was met with calls from local Church leaders to help mend deep divisions in the country.

Leo arrived in Buenos Aires from Uruguay, where he began his first trip as pope to Latin America, the world's most Catholic continent which is becoming increasingly secular.

Argentina is the home country of the late pope, Francis. Milei famously insulted the late pontiff. for his pro-poor teachings. Leo, by contrast, said he was "retracing" Francis' steps.

The Pope also insisted on the importance of "personal integrity" in public office, stressing that "corruption undermines the confidence of citizens in their institutions."

Leo will visit a home for disabled people and a prison and celebrate three open-air masses while in Argentina.

The Church has said it expects around seven million faithful to attend the various events.

– TIMES/NA/PERFIL/AFP