Argentine President Javier Milei received a medal from the Friedrich August von Hayek Foundation in the German port city of Hamburg on Saturday.
Milei received the award from the think tank – named after the Austrian pioneer of neoliberalism – while hundreds of demonstrators demonstrated outside the venue against his invitation.
About 200 supporters attended the ceremony, including notable right-wing German politicians such as Beatrix von Storch, a lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
The crowd repeatedly chanted Milei’s slogan “Libertad,” Spanish for “Freedom.”
Milei, who was elected with more than 55% of the vote in November’s presidential election, has been described as an anarcho-capitalist for his radical views on cutting public spending.
In an acceptance speech, he described his intellectual development as a follower of the Austrian school of economics, whose leading figures included Hayek and Ludwig von Mises.
Milei attributed his rise to power to his beliefs as the only Argentine politician representing liberal economic ideas, aiming to address the country’s long-standing problems such as rising inflation, low industrial productivity and a bloated state apparatus .
In a positive sign in May, annual inflation in Argentina fell for the first time in months, but Milei’s dramatic actions since taking office have sparked waves of protests in Buenos Aires.
Stefan Kooths, chairman of the Hayek Foundation, praised Milei in a speech during the ceremony.
Milei “takes capitalism off the defensive,” Kooths said, comparing his policy to chemotherapy treatment. “The side effects are intense,” he said, arguing that the agenda is the only solution to Argentina’s problems.
Argentina’s president will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Sunday, although a previously planned reception with military honors was canceled.
During a previous stop in Madrid earlier this week, Milei was rejected by officials after a bitter war of words with the Spanish government.
Milei is the latest recipient of the award from the Hayek Foundation, which critics say has failed to distance itself from right-wing extremists.
Previous winners include Swiss radio station Kontrafun and blog Achse des Guten, both of which are considered right of centre.
