Change and continuity: On the Mexico mandate
Change and continuity: On the Mexico mandate
Mexico’s first woman President must crack down on organised crimeWhen Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the leftist nationalist and leader of the Movement of National Rejuvenation (Morena), became the President of Mexico in 2018, many warned that the Latin American country was on the path to become another Venezuela. But Mr. Obrador proved his critics wrong using populism with fiscal responsibility and pushing Mexico’s polity, which was dominated by the pro- American, centre-right Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) for over seven decades, towards the Left. The Morena’s surge helped Claudia Sheinbaum, the 61-year-old climate scientist who was endorsed by Mr. Obrador, make history last week as she was elected the first woman President of Mexico. The former Mexico City Mayor, known for her tough measures in tackling violent crimes, won 58.6% votes, while her rival, Xóchitl Gálvez, the joint candidate of three opposition parties, secured 28.4%. Morena also won a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which makes Ms. Sheinbaum the first leader in over 30 years who can push constitutional changes — a long-standing promise of Mr. Obrador — through Congress without the opposition’s support. Ms. Sheinbaum, who campaigned on the promise of wealth distribution, tackling crime and building a stronger economy, said she will stay true to Mr. Obrador’s legacy.
Mr. Obrador’s victory in 2018 marked a paradigm shift in Mexico’s politics. He promised to end widespread corruption and launch a massive public spending programme. But unlike several other populists in the region, he adopted a pragmatic approach seeking to bring in gradual changes. He rolled out cash handouts of about $350 for the elderly and monthly scholarships of about $50 for students, besides launching reforestation grants in rural areas, without jeopardising the country’s economic stability. The Mexican peso rose to its strongest levels in almost a decade and investments flowed in. While economic expansion averaged at about 1%, unemployment fell to 2.8%, one of the country’s all-time lows. Mr. Obrador remained largely popular despite criticisms of his failing to tackle violent crime and his intolerance towards dissent. Ms. Sheinbaum should be mindful of the criticisms her predecessor faced. There are concerns that the Morena’s supermajority would lead to constitutional amendments, doing away with some checks and balances on executive power. The new President should bring the fiscal deficit, which ballooned in Mr. Obrador’s last year in office, under check while continuing his social security measures. A bigger challenge would be to crack down on gangs that control drug trafficking to the U.S. Ms. Sheinbaum should use her strong mandate to offer a social contract that improves on Mr. Obrador’s welfarism with a stronger emphasis on the Morena’s social democracy.
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Mandate (noun) – the authority to carry out a policy, regarded as given by the electorate to a party or candidate that wins an election. जनादेश
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Crack down on (phrasal verb) – Enforce strict measures against, clamp down on, suppress, curb, tackle
सख्ती से रोकना
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Leftist (adjective) – supporting or relating to the political left
वामपंथी
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Nationalist (adjective) – relating to nationalists or nationalism.
राष्ट्रवादी
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Critic (noun) – Reviewer, Columnist, Commentator, Evaluator, Reporter, Appraiser
आलोचक
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Populism (noun) – Political approach aiming to appeal to ordinary people, mass appeal politics, demagoguery
जनवादी
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Fiscal (adjective) – Financial वित्तीय
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Polity (noun) – Government, political system, administration, regime
राजनीतिक व्यवस्था
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Dominate (verb) – Control, rule, command, dictate, govern
हावी होना
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Pro – (prefix) – In favor of
समर्थक
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Decade (noun) – A period of ten years.
दशक
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Surge (noun) – Sudden rise
उछाल
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Endorse (verb) – support, approve, sanction, back, ratify
समर्थन करना
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Former (adjective) – previous, earlier, prior, ex
पूर्व
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Rival (noun) – competitor, opponent, contestant, contender
प्रतिद्वंद्वी
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Secure (verb) – Obtain, acquire, gain, achieve, ensure
सुरक्षित करना
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Push (verb) – Drive, propel, promote, advance, encourage
प्रेरित करना
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Long-standing (adjective) – Long-lasting, long-established, deep-rooted, enduring, persistent
दीर्घकालिक
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Campaign (verb) – Advocate, promote, run, canvass, lobby
प्रचार करना
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Wealth distribution (noun) – Allocation of wealth, redistribution of income, economic equality
धन वितरण
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Stay true to (phrase) – Remain faithful to, be loyal to, uphold, maintain
वफादार रहना
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Legacy (noun) – Heritage, bequest, inheritance, endowment, tradition,
विरासत
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Mark (verb) – Denote, indicate, signify, represent, symbolize
चिह्नित करना
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Paradigm shift (noun) – a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.
मूलभूत परिवर्तन
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Widespread (adjective) – extensive, prevalent, general, common, pervasive
व्यापक
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Massive (adjective) – Huge, enormous, immense, colossal, gigantic
विशाल
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Unlike (preposition) – contrary to, different from, dissimilar to
के विपरीत
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Populist (noun) – Leader appealing to the masses, demagogue, popular leader
जनवादी नेता
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Pragmatic (adjective) –practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, sensible व्यावहारिक
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Gradual (adjective) – Incremental, progressive, step–by–step, phased, slow
क्रमिक
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Roll out (phrasal verb) – start, begin, launch, introduce, begin
शुरू करना
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Handouts (noun) – Aid, assistance, contribution, help, donation
वित्तीय सहायता
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Reforestation (noun) – Replanting of forests, afforestation, forest regeneration
वनीकरण
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Jeopardise (verb) – Endanger, risk, threaten, imperil, compromise
खतरे में डालना
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Grant (noun) – endowment, subvention, award, donation
अनुदान
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stability (noun) –firmness, steadiness, solidity, secureness, strength
स्थिरता
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Peso (noun) – The currency of Mexico
पेसो (मेक्सिको की मुद्रा)
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Flow in (phrasal verb) – Come in, arrive, pour in, move in, enter
आना
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Expansion (noun) – growth, enlargement, extension, increase, amplification
विस्तार
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Intolerance (noun) – Unwillingness to accept, lack of tolerance, prejudice, bigotry
असहिष्णुता
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Dissent (noun) – Disagreement, opposition, protest, discord, conflict
विरोध
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(be) mindful of (phrase) – Be aware of, be conscious of, take into account, consider, heed
ध्यान रखना
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Criticism (noun) – censure, reproval, condemnation, denunciation
आलोचना
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Predecessor (noun) – One who precedes you in time (as in holding a position or office)
पूर्ववर्ती
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Lead (to) (verb) –cause, give rise to, result in, bring about वजह बनना
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amendment (noun) – correction, emendation, improvement, enhancement संशोधन
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Do away with (phrase) – abolish, eliminate, discard, eradicate,
समाप्त करना
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Executive power (noun) – The authority to implement laws and policies, and to administer government affairs कार्यकारी शक्ति
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Checks and balances (noun) – Under this system, no one branch of government can make laws without the guidance and approval of the other
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Bring something under check (phrase) – Control, regulate, keep in check, manage, restrain
नियंत्रण में रखना
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Fiscal deficit (noun) – The difference between the government's total expenditure and its total revenue.
राजकोषीय घाटा
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Balloon (verb) – Inflate, expand, increase rapidly, swell, enlarge
वृद्धि करना
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Trafficking (noun) – smuggling
तस्करी
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Welfarism (noun) – Policy of welfare, social welfare approach, public welfare, state support
जनकल्याण
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Seek (verb) – try, attempt, endeavour, strive, work, aim
प्रयास करना
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social security (noun) – the protection that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to health care and to guarantee income security, particularly in cases of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner.
सामाजिक सुरक्षा