Translated by Latisha Hicks
The government that Enrique Peña Nieto will lead, as has occurred with his predecessors since the last three years of Ernesto Zedillo [1997] to date, will be a "minority" government. Because of this, he should consider accords, alliances, and coalitions as the way to achieve long-term agreements, not only agreements of the moment, that will permit the sustained development of the country, affirmed José Woldenberg presidential advisor for IFE from 1997 to 2003.
In an interview with Carlos Puig on his program 'In 15', for MILENIO Television, Woldenberg, author of 'The Democratic Transition in Mexico', recalled that since the last three years of Zedillo's presidency [when PRI lost control of Congress], we have seen "minority governments", and for this, they ought to consider the possibility of making pacts and coexisting beyong the merely legislative branch.
Peña Nieto, said he, is not going to have absolute majorities in chambers of Congress, so he should advocate and generate permanent coalitions.
"The problem is that all the negotiations are in the present moment. Perhaps what we have not achieved as a country are stable coalitions, capable of maintaining a government vision or medium to long-term legislative reform.
"I believe a good part of the disenchantment with our germinal democracy has to deal with aspects beyond politics; the economic growth has been insufficient, and on the other hand it hasn't generated enough formal employment. Much of the economic growth is informal, and we have lived many years with massive migrations to the United States, many of our youths are unable to find space in the job market or in the system of higher education. There, there is a nutrient of disenchantment that is translated to a discomfort towards the political parties."Because of this, he said,
"Some of us have proposed reorienting the national political discussion; for example, we question if presidentialism is the best form of government, or better, if the governmental regimen could be changed to a parliamentary regimen that demands government coalitions. Clearly, there are no institutional incentives to propose this.
"Good politics can transcend a bad institutional design. There is no basis for two or more parties to agree on a government plan, a legislative plan, or unity in the government, not only in the legislative branches," expressed Woldenberg.Spanish original