Argentina must return to sustained growth. Over the past decades, it has become evident that macroeconomic stability is necessary for development, yet it is by no means sufficient on its own. Of the nearly 200 countries in the world, more than 150 have achieved stability, but only around 40 have turned that stability into genuine development outcomes.
Our country’s stagnation is not just the result of poor macroeconomic performance. It also stems from a fragmented, low-complexity productive structure that remains largely closed off to the world.
This lack of dynamism has limited quality job creation and narrowed opportunities for well-being: today, labor informality is higher than in the 1980s, and real wages are 13% below their 1970s level. This reflects clearly in our daily life: fewer opportunities, more unstable career paths, and barriers for those seeking to launch productive initiatives across the country.
Worldwide, countries are once again turning to productive development policies. This is no coincidence—and Argentina must do the same. Without clear political direction and a long-term vision, genuine development will remain out of reach.
Complex productive development. Complex economies grow faster, create better quality jobs, and in doing so expand opportunities for well-being, autonomy, and future prospects for more people.
Development tied to the world. Exports generate foreign currency, raise productivity, strengthen the balance of payments, raise potential growth, and improve well-being by building local capacities to compete, innovate, and connect globally.
Green development. Overlooking environmental challenges threatens production and exports in a world that now increasingly demands sustainability as a prerequisite for trade. At the same time, environmental degradation has a direct impact on people’s well-being, degrading the quality of life for the communities that inhabit and sustain these ecosystems.
Sustainable development cannot be pursued in isolation. It requires macroeconomic stability to attract investment, welfare policies to spread the benefits of growth, and a capable State that can harness and steer efforts toward desired outcomes. These are the challenges before us today.
