Mexico flag Mexico: Economic and Political Overview

The political framework of Mexico

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders
President and head of government: Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (since 1st October 2024)
Next Election Dates

Presidential: 2030
Chamber of Deputies: 2027
Senate: 2030

Current Political Context
General elections were held in Mexico on 2 June 2024. Voters elected a new president to serve a six-year term, all 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies, and all 128 members of the Senate of the Republic. Claudia Sheinbaum, a member of the left-wing political party Morena, was widely regarded by her party as the top contender to succeed President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and ultimately secured the nomination of the ruling coalition, Sigamos Haciendo Historia. Xóchitl Gálvez emerged as the frontrunner of Fuerza y Corazón por México following a surge in popularity due to criticisms from López Obrador. Citizens' Movement, the only national party without a coalition, nominated Jorge Máynez. Sheinbaum won the presidential election by a landslide margin of over 33 points, becoming the first woman to be elected president of Mexico. In the legislative elections, the Sigamos Haciendo Historia coalition won a supermajority in the Chamber of Deputies. The coalition fell three seats short of a supermajority in the Senate, but defections by the two senators elected for the PRD on 28 August closed the shortfall to one.
Concerning foreign affairs, throughout the year, U.S.-Mexico relations showed signs of tension, especially after the election of Donald Trump who has traditionally had a strict stance towards the bordering country concerning border security, immigration, trade, tariffs and drug trafficking. In January 2025, Mexico refused a U.S. request to allow a military aircraft deporting migrants to land in the country, days after Trump came into office.
Main Political Parties
Mexico has a multi-party system. Under the transition to democratic pluralism, the centre of political power has shifted away from the executive and towards the legislative branch and local governments. The largest political parties in the country are:

- National Regeneration Movement (MORENA): centre-left to left wing, anti-neoliberalism, left-wing nationalism, populism. As of 2025, it is the largest political party in Mexico's parliament.
- National Action Party (PAN): centre-right to right wing, liberal conservative, Christian democratic party. It is the main opposition party
- Ecologist Green Party of Mexico (PVEM): centre-right, environmentalist, conservative.
- Labour Party (PT): left-wing, social democratic, labourist, left-wing nationalist.
- Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI): centre to centre-left, oldest political party in the country, constitutionalist, technocratic, social conservative, big tent party.
- Citizens' Movement (MC): centre-left, social democratic, progressist.

Executive Power
In Mexico, as established by the Constitution, the Executive power is vested in the President of the United Mexican States, who serves as both Head of State and Head of Government, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The President is elected by popular vote for a single six-year term, known as a sexenio, and reelection is prohibited. As the head of the executive branch, the President has the authority to appoint the Cabinet, although certain key appointments, such as the Attorney General and diplomatic positions, require Senate approval.
Legislative Power
The legislative power in Mexico is vested in the Congress of the Union, which is bicameral, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic. The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 500 members, 300 elected through plurality voting in single-member districts and 200 through proportional representation in multi-member districts, all serving three-year terms. The Senate of the Republic comprises 128 members, with 96 elected through plurality voting—two for each state and Mexico City, plus one for the first minority—and 32 through proportional representation, all serving six-year terms.
 

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

Definition:

The world rankings, published annually, measures violations of press freedom worldwide. It reflects the degree of freedom enjoyed by journalists, the media and digital citizens of each country and the means used by states to respect and uphold this freedom. Finally, a note and a position are assigned to each country. To compile this index, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) prepared a questionnaire incorporating the main criteria (44 in total) to assess the situation of press freedom in a given country. This questionnaire was sent to partner organisations,150 RWB correspondents, journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists. It includes every kind of direct attacks against journalists and digital citizens (murders, imprisonment, assault, threats, etc.) or against the media (censorship, confiscation, searches and harassment etc.).

World Rank:
143/180
 

Indicator of Political Freedom

Definition:

The Indicator of Political Freedom provides an annual evaluation of the state of freedom in a country as experienced by individuals. The survey measures freedom according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties. The ratings process is based on a checklist of 10 political rights questions (on Electoral Process, Political Pluralism and Participation, Functioning of Government) and 15 civil liberties questions (on Freedom of Expression, Belief, Associational and Organizational Rights, Rule of Law, Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights). Scores are awarded to each of these questions on a scale of 0 to 4, where a score of 0 represents the smallest degree and 4 the greatest degree of rights or liberties present. The total score awarded to the political rights and civil liberties checklist determines the political rights and civil liberties rating. Each rating of 1 through 7, with 1 representing the highest and 7 the lowest level of freedom, corresponds to a range of total scores.

Ranking:
Partly Free
Political Freedom:
3/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House

 

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Latest Update: February 2025