1. New Forms of Power in ‘Post’- Neoliberal Development Policy: A case study of evolving World Bank lending practices in Argentina Abilene Pitt PhD Candidate Department of International Relations, Politics and Sociology Oxford Brookes University abilene.pitt@brookes.ac.uk

2. Argentina and the Bank Case study as a way to see the results when pressure for reform comes from both sides. Argentina post-crisis able to make new demands on the type of support received Concurrently re-think at the World Bank on the concept of development

3. WB Development Policy Shifts Washington consensus and the neo-liberal development focus Structural adjustment – Comprehensive Development Framework Lack of infrastructure to blame for failings World Development Report 2000/1 – a self critical approach

4. A ‘post’-neoliberalism? Post-neoliberal politics vs neoliberal ‘plus’ lending IFI targeted welfare measures Latin American critical break with Washington paradigms Jasasuriya- social reforms not opposed to neoliberal policies, but as market enabling

5. Development Policy Shifts plus Post-neoliberal Politics IMF default and repayment Backlash against presence of IFI’s Halt on all World Bank lending 2001-2003 World Bank acknowledges image problem and takes steps to address it Visible changes required

6. Investment Lending Full replacement of structural adjustment Partnership approach to lending Diversifying the portfolio Specific welfare provision Re-branding?

7. Three Phases Pre-Crisis Interim Measures Now Structural Adjustment Conditions Large scale macro economic loans Decentralisation Infrastructure Investment ‘Partner’ Small scale Diverse Grants Welfare focus Investment ‘Partner’ Large scale ‘investment’ loans Decentralisation Infrastructure

8. Partnerships More far-reaching than conditionalities Present in every political strata in Argentina Abrahamsen – development partnerships as advanced liberal rule True ‘Partnerships’ between a borrower and lender?

9. Benefits Government happy to receive technical assistance Provinces happy to receive greater independent support Re-branding as welfare investor successful Key to cheap development loans for Government

10. Reform? A better and more targeted form of conditionality World Bank presence throughout Argentina through diverse projects (more difficult to remove) Neo-liberal ‘plus’. Adding welfare measures similar to institution targeting in the 1990’s Plugging the leaks of a flawed system?