The political landscape of Mexico has changed since the last presidential elections held in 2018. Many promises have been made, and how the Mexican government runs has shaped citizens for the greater good. Even the shift of political parties, from the PRI to the Morena Party back in 1928, after 70 years of the PRI holding the office of the President of Mexico. Yet, 2024 brought a historic wave to the country; from a Judicial Reform to the first female president elected President of Mexico. All this brings us to today, however, it’s important to take note of the effects of this new wave. Let’s dive into the discussions of Judicial Reform and Claudia Sheinbaum’s path as the first female president of Mexico.
Let’s begin by discussing some of the general components of Mexican politics. Mexico’s politics share similarities and differences with that of the United States. The Mexican Congress consists of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. General Elections are held every 6 years to elect a new president. Presidents in Mexico are not allowed to run for reelection and serve one term each. The current governing coalition is made up of Morena, the Labor Party (PT), and the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM). What’s important is that the Mexican government has some similarities to that of the structure of the US Government.
The Mexican government has a legislative branch divided into the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies and ultimately forms the Congress of the Union or Congreso de la Union. As mentioned earlier, political parties exist and an interesting detail is that each party must be registered before the National Electoral Institute. However, each party has to earn 2% of votes to uphold their status at a federal level. This was proven true; when the 2024 Mexican General Election took place, once all the votes were tallied, the Party of the Democratic Revolution or PRD failed to earn the percentage needed and thus lost its status as a national party and currently remains a state-level party.
At the top of the Mexican Judicial System sits the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, or in Spanish, La Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nacion. The Supreme Court of Mexico is the highest authority and 11 judges are nominated by the President, which has to be approved by the Senate and ultimately appointed to the court. It’s important to note that citizens do not elect these judges, as in the case of Senators and Deputies. If you want to learn more about the electoral system in Mexico, follow this link; it highlights in-depth the organization of the systems and elections of the lower chamber.
Considering this, President Lopez Obrador brought the idea of a Judicial Overhaul, yet these talks were quiet. However, it would be until February 2024, when President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, introduced a proposal to reform the judicial system. President Lopez Obrador stated that doing so would bring a fair representation in the system and eliminate inequality that has plagued the system and the people for decades. However, some were quick to criticize this proposal, including the Opposition. Experts argued this Reform could threaten the checks and balances in Mexico.
In the reform. number of judges on the Supreme Court would be lowered, from 11 to 9. Citizens would elect all of the country’s judges in an election that followed in the coming years. To learn more about the changes that were included in the reform, click on the following link as it describes word by word the methods to select and compensation limits.
However, this proposal would create waves of backlash and until September 2024, the backlash turned into protests. Protesters claimed this was a threat to the established system. However, the current governing system, led by Morena and its coalition, would secure the majority it needed, with “86 votes in favour and 41 against in a marathon session”, as reported on AlJazeera. The reform was approved on September 11, 2024. However before the approval, protestors marched outside of Congress, and on the day the Reform was scheduled to be approved, protestors broke into the Chamber. Their goal was to block the reform from happening. According to AlJazeera, the protestors chanted “The judiciary will not fall.” However, in the end, the lawmakers were forced to move to another location and that is when the Judicial Reform was approved.
President Lopez Obrador would sign the reform on September 15th, 2024, almost two weeks before he handed the presidency over to then President-Elect of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum. On top of this, Mexico is the only country where its citizens will now elect judges at all levels, not just the Supreme Court. Before the Reform was approved, US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar provided a statement reacting to the reform. Salazar noted the strong relationship the United States maintains with its neighboring country, Mexico. However, Salazar commented on how the judicial reform posed a risk to Mexico’s democracy. Salazar highlighted how the direct election of judges if approved for the 2025 and 2027 elections, could threaten the trade relationship between the United States and Mexico. Salazar’s comments criticized the Judicial Reform, stating: “It would also weaken the efforts to make North American economic integration a reality and would create turbulence as the debate over direct election will continue over the next several years.”
This judicial reform will continue to be discussed in the following months and its effect on the system. However, this was not the only major event that took place in Mexico. In June 2024, Mexico elected its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, earning more votes than President Lopez Obrador in 2018. With over 35 million votes, Claudia Sheinbaum won in a landslide against her opponents, Xochitl Galvez, (PAN-PRI-PRD) and Jorge Alvarez Maynez, (Movimiento Cuidadano).
Now, you may be asking, who is Claudia Sheinbaum, well here is a glance at her life. Sheinbaum comes from a leftist background and shares Lopez Obrador’s beliefs. According to AP News, “Her parents were leading activists in Mexico’s 1968 student movement, which ended tragically in a government massacre of hundreds of student demonstrators.” She is also the first Jewish female president elected to the office. Sheinbaum had previously served as Mayor of Mexico City up to 2023 when she stepped down from her position to join the race for the 2024 presidential election as a candidate. She studied at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where she began her research and study of energy engineering. In 1989, Sheinbaum earned a bachelor’s degree in physics, followed by a master’s degree in 1994, and a Ph.D. in energy engineering in 1995; all her degrees were honorably earned at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. This is important to note as Sheinbaum has made her claim she would transition the country to a path of clean energy and reduce greenhouse gases during her 6-year term.
In the days following the election, Sheinbaum announced a national tour with then-President Lopez Obrador. This was the start of the Gira de Despedida to former President Lopez Obrador, who after 6 years in power, leaves the presidency with a high approval rating. While Lopez Obrador remains popular in Mexico, some could argue that key issues weren’t resolved during his 6-year reign. Lopez Obrador did triple the minimum wage and several major infrastructure projects took place during his 6-year term, most notably, El Tren Maya. Regardless of people’s view of him, Lopez Obrador will remain one of the most influential presidents in Mexico for decades to come.
Keeping up to date, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in on October 1st, 2024, and carries with her the responsibility of carrying Lopez Obrador’s legacy, “known as El Segundo Piso de la Transformacion” and a country, that some critics argue, in an eventual economic downturn and “the effects of the newly approved Judicial System.”
Sheinbaum gave her first address as President the same day, where she highlighted the message that the time for women had arrived. Multiple heads of state appeared at the Inauguration, including Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, and Luis Lula da Silva of Brazil. One of the absences that sparked controversy before the Inauguration was the exclusion of King Felipe VI of Spain. As stated on El Pais, then President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced King Felipe was not invited because a response was not delivered to the letter sent by Former President Lopez Obrador, which “demanded an apology for excesses committed during the Spanish Conquest.” Keep in mind that both Mexico and Spain have not broken relations.
The Inauguration was unique, to say the least. Former President Lopez Obrador handed over the Banda Presidencial to Claudia Sheinbaum. As Lopez Obrador walked into the Chamber for the Inauguration, his allies in the Morena Party cheered him on and thanked him for all the work and dedication he offered to all Mexicans. Lopez Obrador leaves behind an immense legacy, filled with optimism to the poor and the elderly, with whom he established Los Programas De Bienestar.
Considering all this information, we can say that Mexico has drastically changed since the 2018 election. Its citizens were open to the Cuarta Transformacion (4th Transformation) although there is space for discussion on whether Former President Lopez Obrador’s policies were beneficial. It’s safe to say Mexico is living a New Wave unlike before. The Judicial Overhaul will be at the center of debates for months. Claudia Sheinbaum assumed the office of President as 1st female President in Mexico in over 200 years of Independence.
In the end, Mexicans have chosen a new path. Mexicans have contributed enormously to the United States and around the world. Our culture is rich and full of inspiration. People have done favors that positively affect the people around them. This includes singers who started small and grew to become popular. This can even be said for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador: he grew up in a home cherished by his parents and siblings. He grew up as a fighter and activist for the poor. His path marked the lives of many and this followed him up to the 2006 Election, where he lost to President Felipe Calderon. In a rematch against Enrique Peña Nieto in 2012, Lopez Obrador lost this election and it was up to this moment that he soon formed his political party, named Morena or in Spanish, Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional.
I think what fascinates me about Lopez Obrador is the fact he never quits, no matter if he is laughed at or criticized. He was direct in his statements but stayed true to his character, a nobleman who responded efficiently. He was charismatic and witty, who downplayed his opponents and let them know who was in charge. Did he act arrogant? No, but he was tough in his rhetoric, especially when it came to discussing relations with the United States. Lopez Obrador commented on several occasions that Mexico is an independent country and will not be influenced by outside power. This enlightened his supporters to know that a Mexican President knows how to stand up.
However, his administration was weak on several issues and received backlash. Now what were the issues he could not fix during his 6-year term? Well, that is a topic for another article. Although there is room to say his way of confronting was quite vocal and caused reactions from his allies and the Opposition. However, his opponents called him out on numerous occasions although he coordinated his rhetoric and ensured his policies were effective. I remember the instances when Lopez Obrador had meetings with Former President Donald Trump. Both Presidents had respect for each other. AMLO made Mexico greater in the sense that he instilled pride and brought back hope to the poor and the elderly.
During her time in office since October, she continued efforts to keep Mexico in balance with its allies, including the United States. Just weeks ago, she attended the G20 Summit, a group of 20 countries that meet to discuss policies to strengthen collaboration. She has handled a great deal of dialogue with President-Elect Donald Trump. During these dialogues, she has displayed the necessity to strengthen relations and work to counter migration.
Mexico has done an extraordinary job to remain a key ally on the world stage. I’m certain that the future of Mexico will be bright. Sheinbaum will work effectively with Donald Trump to ensure cooperation is met.
