Excerpts: Kirchner's inaugural speech

Rough road ahead for new Argentine President Nestor Kirchner?

Argentina's new President, Nestor Kirchner, has pledged to work for what he called a "normal and united" Argentina. He said Argentines had clearly opted to turn a new page in their history.

The following are excerpts from his inaugural address at the National Congress in Buenos Aires, broadcast live on Argentine television:

The women and men of our fatherland, exercising their popular sovereignty, chose to progress decisively towards the new. Turning a new page of history has not been the work of one or several leaders. It has been, above all, a conscious and collective decision by Argentine citizens.

The people have shown a strong preference for the future and change. The level of participation in the elections showed that, thinking differently and respecting diversity, the vast and total majority of Argentines want the same things...

Change implies measuring the leadership's success or failure from new perspectives. Whims and diagnoses of the crisis will not be enough. We will examine behaviour and the outcome of actions. Success will be measured by the capability, decisiveness, and efficiency shown in dealing with change...

Growth

The central part of our plan is to rebuild national capitalism, which will generate alternatives that will allow us to restore upward social mobility. It is not a matter of shutting out the world, it is not a matter of reactionary nationalism, but of intelligence, observation, and commitment to the nation...

This is why it is necessary to promote active policies that will foster the country's development and economic growth, the creation of new jobs, and a better and fairer distribution of our revenues. You must understand that the state will play a leading role...

The state must act as the great repairer of social inequalities, permanently seeking involvement and creating opportunities by increasing access to education, health, and housing...

We are willing to face with society all of the reforms that are necessary, and for this we will also use the tools that the constitution and laws provide to build and express the people's will. We will rely on the constitution to build a new legitimacy for our laws, which will go beyond the arrogance of the strongest...

Among the state's fundamental and irreplaceable roles is its monopoly on the use of force and the fight against any form of impunity, to achieve citizens' security and justice in a democratic society, in which human rights are respected...

The basic goal of our economic policy will be to ensure stable growth that will allow the constant expansion of economic activities and the generation of jobs... The result must be the duplication of wealth every 15 years, something which will guarantee better income distribution, one that will strengthen our middle class, in particular, and pull all compatriots out of extreme poverty...

The wise rule of not spending more than income must be observed. Fiscal balance must be protected. This involves more and better tax collection and efficiency, as well as caution in spending. A balanced budget for the nation and the provinces is essential...

We know that our debt is a main problem. It is not a matter of not honouring it or not paying... As our economy grows, so will our payment capacity...

Vision

The priority in foreign policy will be the construction of a Latin America that is politically stable, prosperous, united, having as foundations the ideals of democracy and social justice...

A serious, extensive and mature relationship with the United States of America and the states comprising the European Union is what should be expected of us, as well as the strengthening of ties with other developed nations and great developing nations in the Far East, and a participation in the quest for the achievement of peace and consensus within organizations such as the United Nations...

The struggle against international terrorism, which has left such deep and horrible marks in the Argentine people's minds, will find us ready and alert, to vanquish it from among the scourges that afflict mankind...

With the help of God new times can surely begin, finding us shoulder to shoulder in the struggle to achieve progress and social inclusion, becoming a turning point in history...

I come to propose a dream. I want an united Argentina. I want a normal Argentina. I want us to be a serious country but in addition I want a more just country. I hope that that through this path a new and glorious nation, our own, will rise in the world.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.