Monday, February 4, 2008

The President of Mexico Names ‘De Facto’ Prime Minister

By José Enrique Vallarta Rodríguez

In prior columns I have insisted on the need to make leadership changes in some cabinet positions in the administration of President Felipe Calderón.  And, in my opinion, the recent replacements of the secretaries of both Government (the Interior, Segob) and Social Development (Sedesol) are due to too few results in their respective areas, along with the call for the best men and women possible to carry out the work of the Mexican government.

During the first two weeks of 2008, President Calderón named Juan Camilo Mouriño, his talented negotiator, to be Secretary of Government, and Ernesto Cordero Arroyo as Secretary of Sedesol.

But what do these changes really mean?  And why have there been so many objections to the appointments of these two men?

Let me share some reflections.

1.     With respect to the change in the Segob, the naming of Juan Camilo Mouriño – a noted political negotiator – is part of the logic of consolidation of the president’s closest group.  Furthermore, this outlines a means to streamline efforts for reform and political changes that have been deadlocked for years, most specifically in the areas of energy reform, labor reform, and reforms of state.

This is the first time in decades that a Mexican president has opted for a super-secretary, making him Mexico’s de facto prime minister.  A man with three primary duties, as Mouriño is now the cabinet’s chief operative; the lead person in relations with Mexico’s political players (political parties, congress, and state governors); and coordinator of the national security apparatus.

Thus the Segob offers Mouriño broad institutional and legal resources.

Traditionally Mexican presidents have had, in their secretaries of Government, a first string operator as well as a lightning rod, but too someone who was kept at a relative distance as a means of protection.  With respect to the appointment of Mouriño, this has its advantages and disadvantages for President Calderón.

By acting directly, without intermediaries, through his trusted insider, Calderón is accelerating Mexico’s national political agenda.  As well, with this appointment the president is showing the exigency to find solutions to political matters, and rightly so.

Secretary Mouriño will unfetter many issues for the simple reason that whenever he calls a governor, or anytime he makes a promise to a legislator, it will be seen as coming directly from Calderón.  However this is also where the disadvantages lie.  Any mistake, slip-up or sharp-tongued remark by Mouriño will be billed to the president.  And should Mouriño fail it will be Calderón who suffers in his approval ratings and ultimately have to sacrifice his best man.

Whatever the case, Calderón evidently trusts his new secretary fully.  Too, it must be remembered that this relatively young 37 year old coordinated the kitchen cabinet-like team that got Felipe Calderón elected President of Mexico in 2006.  And so far Secretary Mouriño has shown that he has the necessary political talent and negotiating skills in the latest duties and responsibilities he has undertaken.

There is an air of efficiency, capability and hardness that emanates from Juan Camilo Mouriño, which is making the political opposition worry about his future potential – and this is what is behind the irrational and xenophobic attacks against the new secretary as to Spain being his birthplace and his Mexican nationality.

2.     The appointment of Ernesto Cordero Arroyo, as Secretary of Social Development, follows the logic of sharing in positive election results.  Moreover, Beatriz Zavala Peniche, Cordero’s Sedesol predecessor, failed to produce positive results in her privileged position.

Cordero is a technocrat with prior experience in the expenditures department of the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit, giving him specialized and detailed information in order to administer the federal government’s social spending.  As for Mexico’s social organizations, under the administration of the new secretary they will have to become bureaucratized in order to respond to new evaluation criteria, accounting and computer systems, and ISO 9000 standards.

So the current Sedesol challenge is to train and satisfy its actual clients.

While the departure of Zavala served as a respite for several opposition party governors and mayors, who suffered from her lack of expertise and negligence, politically they look at the naming of Cordero with mistrust and fear.  This because he specializes in delivering election results for his National Action Party (PAN), and Mexico is now in the run-up to its 2009 midterm federal elections.

Thus the opposition has criticized the naming of Cordero, expressing doubt in his social vocation and questioning Calderón’s interest and sensibility on social issues.

In the end these recent changes strengthen Calderón, with a purified cabinet more in the president’s image.  The stage of conflict and confrontation of this administration has finally been surmounted, and the president now has more space for actions that will allow him to consolidate his government plan.

In coming weeks more federal level changes are anticipated, and the expectation is that they too will better Mexico.

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Dr. José Enrique Vallarta Rodríguez, a MexiData.info guest columnist, received his doctorate in Mexican Electoral Law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.  Mexico City-based, he has worked for the Federal Electoral Institute.

Translation MexiData.info