Français Picard is pleased to welcome Gabriel Oddone, economist, professor and Uruguay's Economy and Finance Minister. He offers a striking defense of the social democratic model at a moment when much of Latin America appears to be espousing hard right socio-political and economic policies. Speaking at the OECD's Latin America Forum in Paris, Oddone argues that Uruguay's commitment to the welfare state, fiscal responsibility, and inequality reduction is not an ideological anomaly but the expression of a deep national consensus.
At a time when neighboring Argentina is experimenting with radical market liberalization and when rightward political currents are gaining ground across the region, Oddone insists that Uruguay's path remains distinct. "We believe that the social cohesion and the reduction of inequality is crucial for the country," he says, presenting welfare not as a cost but as a foundation for stability and prosperity.
All the while, he speaks highly of his neighbours, highlighting his productive and pragmatic relationships with his more right-wing counterparts. In the broader geopolitical sphere. Uruguay's finance minister offers a more balanced vision of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement: Oddone rejects a purely commercial interpretation, describing it instead as "a civilizational approach."
He argues that Uruguay shares with Europe a common understanding of "how to manage the economy, how to regulate the economy, how to regulate the markets, how to combine the policies between private sector and public sector." In that spirit, he contends that Uruguay's political and cultural identity remains deeply European: "Uruguay is closer to Europe than it is to the United States in that regard," emphasizing common traditions of statecraft, social protection, and public institutions.
