What can the global left learn from Mexico – where far-right politics hasn’t taken off? | Thomas Graham
In a recent analysis, journalist Thomas Graham sheds light on the remarkable political landscape in Mexico, where the leftwing governing party, Morena, has not only retained the presidency but has also achieved a significant two-thirds supermajority in the chamber of deputies during the 2024 election year. This outcome is particularly striking given the global political climate, where incumbents often face grim prospects and far-right movements gain traction. Morena’s success, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, who garnered an impressive 60% of the vote, reflects a continuation of the momentum initiated by Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2018, when he first captured the presidency with a historic 55% of the electorate’s support. This resurgence of leftist governance in Mexico echoes the earlier “pink tide” in Latin America, a period characterized by the rise of left-leaning leaders like Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales, who similarly enjoyed substantial electoral victories.
However, Graham points out that Morena’s approach to governance, while rooted in the pursuit of social justice and addressing Mexico’s deep-seated inequalities, is not without its contradictions. The party has demonstrated a pragmatic approach that sometimes dilutes its progressive principles. For instance, while it has made strides in social programs aimed at reducing poverty and enhancing access to education and healthcare, critics argue that certain policies may lack the transformative vision that many progressive movements aspire to. This blend of social justice initiatives and pragmatic governance raises questions about the sustainability and replicability of Morena’s model for other leftist parties around the globe. As progressive movements worldwide look to Mexico for inspiration, they must consider the complexities of Morena’s governance, which, despite its successes, may not provide a straightforward blueprint for achieving social equity and justice in their own contexts.
Thomas Graham, a journalist based in Mexico City, explains how the leftwing governing party, Morena, has promoted social justice but diluted principle with pragmatism
If you were to summarise the 2024 election year, you might say: grim for incumbents, good for the far right. Yet Mexico bucked both trends. Its governing party, Morena, not only retained the presidency but – along with its
partners
in the Sigamos Haciendo Historia coalition – gained a two-thirds supermajority in the chamber of deputies, the lower house, while the far right failed to even run a candidate. That a self-described leftwing party could have such success by fixing on Mexico’s chasmic inequality has drawn attention from hopeful progressives worldwide. But Morena’s programme has some not-so-progressive elements too. It is not necessarily one others could – or would want to – copy in its entirety.
Morena first notched a historic result in 2018, when Andrés Manuel López Obrador, an old face of the left who ran for president twice before founding the party, won a record 55% of the vote during the general elections. Mexico’s constitution limits presidents to a single term. But this time, Claudia Sheinbaum, a close ally of López Obrador’s,
won 60%
of the vote. Her victory was reminiscent of the heyday of Latin America’s “pink tide”, when leftist leaders like Hugo Chávez and Evo Morales were reelected for a second term with more votes than their initial victories.
Continue reading…
