Peña Nieto’s challenges

A political shift of power returns to Mexico with Enrique Peña Nieto’s inauguration today.

Mexicans are fed up after 12 years of PAN governments. This opened the way to the return to Los Pinos of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). This is a more modern PRI, much more comfortable with the dynamics of the 21st century than with its political prehistory of dinosaurs and associates.

Peña Nieto has said that his priority will be the economy; in this regard, the country’s macroeconomic numbers are good. International trade, domestic investment and manufacturing form a solid base to generate revenue.

Although there is an upwardly mobile middle class, there is also a level of extreme poverty among a segment of the population that has not benefitted from positive growth indexes.

Therefore, it is necessary to create jobs and provide training in order to improve living conditions. The government needs to teach people how to fish rather than just giving them fish.

It is urgent to implement a social policy that provides opportunities for human development and solidifies the quality of education and access to higher education.

Peña Nieto wishes to focus on the economy. Just like his predecessor, he runs the risk that drug trafficking violence might be what characterizes his administration. Without a doubt, that is his biggest challenge. In this respect, restructuring the public security system within the government signals a different strategy from Calderón’s.

The Peña Nieto administration is a new opportunity for the PRI and a new hope for Mexicans. We hope that all of them, as well as the opposition, understand that the challenges Mexico faces demand joint efforts from everyone.