New York Times Editorial - Mexico's new president
New York Times Editorial - Mexico's new president
The New York Times
Published: December 3, 2006
For virtually all of Mexico's history, whoever has ruled the country has done so with unchecked power. Then came Vicente Fox - elected president in 2000 - a decent man with many good ideas who lacked the skill and appetite to muscle his programs through. To some, his passivity was just what Mexico needed after 71 years of dictatorship. For others, his failures began to give democracy a bad name.
This week marked Fox's departure and the inauguration of Felipe Calderón. Like Fox, Calderón favors modernizing a corrupt and antiquated energy sector, simplifying the tax system, taking on dinosaur unions, creating jobs and improving education. The difference is that Calderón may have the political savvy to succeed.
The political challenges he is up against were made clear on Friday, as leftist lawmakers whistled and catcalled through his brief inaugural ceremony. Calderón won a disputed election with less than 36 percent of the vote, and his party controls only 41 percent of Congress. His defeated leftist opponent, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, still insists he won, although he has lost sympathy by vowing to block Calderón's efforts. Calderón has gained approval, seeking reconciliation.
The new president's biggest challenges will be fighting poverty and crime and reforming the economy. Calderón has chosen a mostly good cabinet and a steady economic team. But he has already flinched on one huge challenge: breaking up big phone, television and cement monopolies, apparently allowing them to veto his choice of an antimonopoly reformer for his cabinet.
Calderón announced Friday that he would push for universal health insurance for children and an expansion of Mexico's antipoverty programs. He is taking a page from López Obrador's agenda - which is good for Mexico and might win the new president some of the political capital he will need to push through reforms.
The New York Times
Published: December 3, 2006
For virtually all of Mexico's history, whoever has ruled the country has done so with unchecked power. Then came Vicente Fox - elected president in 2000 - a decent man with many good ideas who lacked the skill and appetite to muscle his programs through. To some, his passivity was just what Mexico needed after 71 years of dictatorship. For others, his failures began to give democracy a bad name.
This week marked Fox's departure and the inauguration of Felipe Calderón. Like Fox, Calderón favors modernizing a corrupt and antiquated energy sector, simplifying the tax system, taking on dinosaur unions, creating jobs and improving education. The difference is that Calderón may have the political savvy to succeed.
The political challenges he is up against were made clear on Friday, as leftist lawmakers whistled and catcalled through his brief inaugural ceremony. Calderón won a disputed election with less than 36 percent of the vote, and his party controls only 41 percent of Congress. His defeated leftist opponent, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, still insists he won, although he has lost sympathy by vowing to block Calderón's efforts. Calderón has gained approval, seeking reconciliation.
The new president's biggest challenges will be fighting poverty and crime and reforming the economy. Calderón has chosen a mostly good cabinet and a steady economic team. But he has already flinched on one huge challenge: breaking up big phone, television and cement monopolies, apparently allowing them to veto his choice of an antimonopoly reformer for his cabinet.
Calderón announced Friday that he would push for universal health insurance for children and an expansion of Mexico's antipoverty programs. He is taking a page from López Obrador's agenda - which is good for Mexico and might win the new president some of the political capital he will need to push through reforms.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 6:22 AM
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