Felipe Calderón, or the Tribulations of a Transition.

Abstract

The Felipe Calderón government was defined by the form and content of the 2006 electoral campaign. It involved a ferocious confrontation between left and right, with a very narrow margin, and the refusal by the winner to allow a recount, and by the loser to accept the result. Calderón set about reaffirming his position by militarizing the fight against organized crime, but the lack of coordination, prevailing institutional weakness and a striking increase in violence caused the project to fail. Poor economic performance and its social effects contributed to the defeat of Calderón’s party in the intermediate elections and in 2012. The term in government ended with the return to power of the pri and with questions concerning the nature of the political regime.