MEXICO CITY — Following her administration’s first significant legislative failure, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum minimized the impact of Congress rejecting her constitutional reform package on Thursday, announcing she has a backup strategy to modify the nation’s electoral framework.
The Morena party leader fell short of the required supermajority in the Chamber of Deputies during Wednesday night’s vote after losing support from lawmakers within the allied Green and Workers parties. The rejected measures, which Sheinbaum’s administration characterized as cost-cutting initiatives, were criticized for potentially weakening smaller political parties’ influence.
Since assuming the presidency in 2024, Sheinbaum issued a warning Thursday that the electorate would evaluate whether opposition politicians honored their commitments to back her administration’s legislative priorities.
A central point of contention involved eliminating the proportional representation system that allows political parties to secure congressional seats based on their share of the national vote. This mechanism was established to ensure smaller parties could gain legislative representation even when unable to win specific district contests.
The president had advocated for a system where all congressional members would be chosen directly through voter elections.
The failed legislation also sought to cut election expenses by 25%, affecting both the National Electoral Institute’s budget and funding distributed to political parties. Political analysts warned these modifications could jeopardize Mexico’s electoral operations while strengthening the ruling party’s position.
According to Georgina de la Fuente, who teaches political science at Tecnológico de Monterrey University, the voting outcome demonstrates that “the small parties are not going to give their unconditional support (to Morena), they are not going to put their survival at risk.”
While Sheinbaum indicated she would reveal specifics about her alternative approach on Monday, she emphasized her objective remains unchanged: “to continue reducing privileges.”
