Former Candidate to the presidency of Argentina (October 2007).

M. Lavagna was a Minister of Economy and Production (2002-2005) and a Secretary of Industry and Foreign Trade of Argentina (1985-87). He was a Special and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to the International Economic Organizations (Geneva) and to the European Union (Brussels), 2000-2002.

During the seventies and the eighties, M. Lavagna had occupied many public functions such as the Undersecretary of Coordination and Politics of the State Secretary of Public Works and Transport of Argentina (1975); the Chairman of the Institute of Applied Economics and Society (IdEAS) (1980-1990); the Chairman of the Board of Directors of steel company "La Cantábrica SAMIC" (1975-1976); the General Director of Income Policies, Ministry of Economy (1973-74). M. Lavagna was also the Chief negotiator of the agreements on the Integration of Argentina-Brazil (1986-87).