When Javier Milei took office as President of Argentina in December 2023, the country was grappling with a severe economic crisis. The inflation rate in Argentina at the time was 25.5% per month, and economists and analysts predicted that the country would suffer even greater economic downfall.
However, Milei took bold decisions and initiated a series of radical reforms that resulted in the inflation rate falling to just 2.7% by the end of 2024. This change proved to be an important step towards Argentina’s economic stability. These economic reforms of Milei gained him recognition not only in his country but also at the international level. Milei’s policies have now become a source of inspiration for Musk’s ‘DOGE’ (Digital and Revolutionary Economic Policies) program and Trump’s ‘MAGA’ (Make America Great Again) campaign.
Praising Milei on social media, Vivek Ramaswami posted on X, “He is a leader who knows how to do DOGE and MAGA.” Now, after Donald Trump’s inaugural address, it can be said that this Argentinian model is being considered as an ideal for the economic vision of Musk and Trump.
He’s a man who knows how to DOGE & how to MAGA. Honored to introduce the great @JMilei tonight! pic.twitter.com/CQZO08jkCY
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 19, 2025
Just after a historic election victory on November 19, 2023, Javier Milei assumed the presidency of Argentina and made bold economic decisions. His economic reforms gave a new turn to the country’s financial crisis. He faced criticism in various forms, but his policies and ideology proved successful despite every criticism. Through his revolutionary ideology he proved that in a free society, criticism is not just a challenge but a sign of opportunity for improvement.
Milei’s reform policies have not been limited to Argentina, but also impacted the aspirational US economic policy, especially when the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) was announced, which will be led by Elon Musk, as Vivek Ramaswamy quit citing personal political ambitions.
In an interview with Lex Fridman, Milei explained that Argentina’s Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation, led by Federico Sturzenegger, is constantly working towards ending protectionism and privilege, and on average dismantling 1 to 5 economic sanctions every day.
This approach of Milei has become a topic of discussion not only in Argentina but around the world. Milei’s “chainsaw” strategy was also adopted by Donald Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the US.
Not only this, Vivek Ramaswami wrote on X, “A reasonable formula to fix the U.S. government: Milei-style cuts, on steroids.”
Now, a new twist related to this economic outlook is emerging, when President Donald Trump announced America’s ‘DOGE Agenda’ in his first address on January 20, 2025. Trump has signed an executive order creating a new department, the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE). The department aims to reduce federal jobs, slash redundant programs, and cut through bureaucratic inefficiencies, which are important for Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) mission.
This department will work under the leadership of Elon Musk and the name of ‘United States Digital Service’ (USDS) will now be changed to ‘United States DOGE Service’ (USDS). A temporary organization will operate for 18 months under the DOGE agenda, completing its journey by July 4, 2026. Under this initiative, there is a clear parallel between the economic reforms of the US government and Milley of Argentina, where both aimed to increase government efficiency through structural change and administrative reforms.
