“Shock therapy” in Argentina through the prism of Russia’s experience
https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0130-0105-6-60-5-7
Abstract
Throughout the development of any country, there are socio-economic crises that have to be resolved through reforms of varying depth and drama. At the same time, practices of transformation in socio-economic sphere serve as a material for testing existing theoretical concepts. The paper examines the consequences of “shock therapy”, implemented in Argentina since 2023 by the team of the libertarian President H. Miley. The purpose of the research is to forecast socio-economic prospects for Argentina from the viewpoint of Russia’s experience of the 1990s. The assessment of the latter is still largely influenced by the subjective political and philosophical views of scholars. In this regard, a less emotionally burdened, and therefore more objective discussion of the situation in Argentina is useful for domestic Russian scientific discourse. The methodological basis of the study is a comparative economic analysis, though the comparison of different countries is always debatable, especially as different as Argentina and Russia. Nevertheless, certain parallels in their socio-economic development cannot but attract attention. The work is based on publicly available information resources: research by domestic specialists and media materials, as well as data from international statistical databases used in comparing indicators. The study of the transformations taking place in Argentina is relevant theoretically for the development of economics itself, in particular, its ability to indicate the most painless way out of a crisis situation. In a practical sense, this is important from the perspective of combining universality and specificity in the formation of economic policy and determining the tactics of socio-economic reforms.
About the Author
M. A. PolozhikhinaRussian Federation
Moscow
References
1. A new platform installed in the Arge ntine Sea has started production. (2024, 20.09).
2. Sudamerica. News from Argentina. https://sudamerica.ru/argentina/novaya-platforma-ustanovlennaya-v-argentinskom-more-nachala-dobychu-gaza.
3. Abalkin, L. I. (2002). Russia. The search for self-determination. Essays. M.: Nauka.
4. Akimushkina, I. I. (2024, 05.08). Where did the gold reserve of Argentina disappearto. Nezavisimaja gazeta. Kart-blansh. https://www.ng.ru/kartblansh/2024-08-05/3_9064_kb.html.
5. Andrianov, V. (2023). Argentina on the fault line. Energy policy, 1(90), 74–91. https://doi.org/10.46920/2409-5516_2023_1119_74.
6. Auzan, A. A., Lepetikov, Ya. D., & Sitkevich, D. A. (2022). Track and pendulum: impact of the past dependence problem on the dynamics of institutional changes. Questions of theoretical economics. 1, 24–47. doi 10.52342/2587-7666VTE_2022_1_24_47.
7. Basurova, O. (2019, 05.03). Jeffrey Sachs on the reforms of the 90s: “Maybe we just wanted Russia to collapse”. Mir tesen. https://cccp2.mirtesen.ru/blog/43785646269/Dzhefri-Saks-o-reformah-90-yih-:---Mozhet-byit,-myi-prosto-hotel.
8. Belousov, R. A. (1999–2006). Economic history of Russia: XX century. In 5 vols. M.: IzdAT. Borovskaya, L. V. (2019). On theoretical concepts of institutional transformations. Bulletin of the VSU. Economics and Management series, 1, 5–10.
9. Drobyshevskaya, T. A. (2023). Shock therapy (in economics). Great Soviet Encyclopedia. https://bigenc.ru/c/shokovaia-terapiia-5aeb44.
10. Emsden, E., Intriguer, M., McIntyre, R., Taylor, L. (1996). An eff ective transition strategy: lessons from the economic theory of renewal (doc. amer. experts). Problems of management theory and practice, 2, 30–36; 3, 20–25.
11. Fichtner, E. N., Kislitsina, A. M., & Shkrebtiy, O. V. (2023). Nine defaults of Argentina: a national tragedy or a political game? Vestn. Udm. un-ta. Sociology. Political science. International relations, 7(4), 530–538. https://doi.org/10.35634/2587-9030-2023-7-4-530-538.
12. Grinberg, R. S. (2022). 30 years of economic reforms in Russia (reflections on the origins and results). Sociological research. 12, 132–138. https://doi.org/10.31857/SO13216250023757-5.
13. Guan, Xueling, Zhang, Meng. (2017). The political economy of Vladimir Putin / under the general editorship of G. Chernova; scientifi c editorship of L. V. Popov. SPb.: Publishing House of St. Petersburg University.
14. Kirchik, O., & Heredia, M. (2010). The experience of “radical reform” in Argentina and Russia: between economics and politics. Laboratory, 2, 366–372.
15. Kondratieva, E. (2024, 17.09). The growth of poverty and unemployment in Argentina. TASS. Opinion. https://tass.ru/opinions/21884867.
16. Kornai, J. (2000). The path to a free economy: Ten years later. Economic issues, 12, 41–55.
17. Lukashenko, I. V. (2023). Argentina: on a new vector of economic development. World Economy and World Finance, 2(4), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.24412/2949-6454-2023-0250.
18. Minervin, I. G. (2001). Foreign researchers on the ways of transformation of the Russian economy: diversity of approaches, similarity of conclusions (Review). Economic and social problems of Russia, 2, 70–122.
19. Nabiullina, Е. (2024, 23.01). “The situation is similar to Russia in the 1990s”. Lenta.ru. Economika. https://lenta.ru/articles/2024/01/23/argentina/.
20. Oil production in Argentina (2024). ProNPZ. https://pronpz.ru/catalog/strany/dobycha-argentina.html .
21. Pavkin, L. M. (2014). Libertarianism: principles, theory, evaluation. North Caucasian Law Bulletin, 1, 27–33.
22. Polterovich, V. M. (2007). Strategies of institutional reforms, or the Art of Reforms. Preprint WP10/2007/08. M.: Higher School of Economics.
23. Popov, V. V. (2007). Shock therapy against gradualism: 15 years later. Economic issues, 5, 81–99. https://doi.org/0.32609/0042-8736-2007-5-81-99.
24. Reforms through the eyes of American and Russian scientists. (1996). M.: Foundation “For Economic Literacy”.
25. Romanova, Z. I. (1985). The development of capitalism in Argentina. M.: Nauka.
26. Shcherbatova, A. (2023, 13.07). Explosive growth of poverty, currency chaos and millions of beggars. Lenta.ru. Economika. https://lenta.ru/articles/2023/06/13/argentina/.
27. Shenin, S. Yu. (2010). Jeff rey Sachs and American aid to post-Soviet Russia: the case of “another anatomy”. Izvestiya Saratov University. Series. History. International relations, 10(1), 99–107.
28. Silokhina, A. S. (2024). Populism in Argentina: the crisis of the dominant ideology and the transformation of the political course. Management and Politics, 3(2), 27–42. https://doi.org/10.24833/2782-7062-2024-3-2-27-42.
29. Socio-economic development of Argentina. (2020). Bulletin on current trends in the world economy. Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation. 57.
30. Stiglitz, J. (1999). Where are the reforms going? Economic issues, 7, 4–30.
31. Tatarkin, A. I., & Bersenyov,V. L. (2016). Sharp turn to the market. Economic reform in Russia (1992–1998) and its consequences. Economy of region, 12(2), 325–341. https://doi.org/10.17059/2016-2-1.
32. Udaltsova, M. V. (2013). Economic theory and practice: history and prospects. Bulletin of the NGUEU, 1, 35–39.
33. Wage growth on average exceeded infl ation in 2024. (2025, 12.02). Sudamerica. News from Argentina. https://sudamerica.ru/argentina/rost-zarabotnoj-platy-v-srednem-prevysil-inflyaciyu-v-2024-godu.
34. Yakovlev, P. P. (2008). Argentine economy facing the challenges of modernization. M.: ILA RAS.
35. Yakovlev, P. P. (2024). Latin America: the end of the “commodity curse”? Latin America, 1, 31–45. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044748X24010010.
36. Yakovlev, P. P., & Yakovleva, N. M. (2024). Argentina on the trajectory of changing development models: challenges, answers, risks. Latin America, 3, 6–24. https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044748X24030014.
37.
Supplementary files
Review
For citations:
Polozhikhina M.A. “Shock therapy” in Argentina through the prism of Russia’s experience. Lomonosov Economics Journal. 2025;60(5):156-177. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55959/MSU0130-0105-6-60-5-7












