On October 1, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as president of Mexico. She is the first woman head of state and first Jewish head of state for the country. She’s also a climate scientist, academic, and former mayor of Mexico City. Basically, she’s a big deal and her election is a big deal.
I wrote a short piece about Sheinbaum’s presidency for The Conversation. Presidents in Mexico only have one six-year term, but wield considerable power during that period. Sheinbaum comes in with more power than most, given the dominant position of her political party. At the same time, however, it’s possible that the policies of her predecessor will undermine that power, particularly in the way he weakened some parts of the state while empowering the military.
In the background of this article is something I’m going to be thinking about a lot in the next few months (and maybe years). Sheinbaum’s predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has so dominated Mexican politics for the past six years – and he’s been active and influential for decades before this – that it’s been hard to think about the future without getting caught up on him.
My ongoing research project in the Yucatán Peninsula was shaped by López Obrador’s policies, but the project will unfold almost entirely across Sheinbaum’s presidency. Although I’m interested in López Obrador’s legacy, he’s not going to be the main actor over the next six years. I need to make sure I’m not getting caught in the past, and limiting the current president by thinking about her only in terms of the previous president. A lot of journos and scholars are going to have the same challenge.
My first big research project focused on the presidency of Felipe Calderón, 2006 to 2012. I’m excited to have my second project under way, focusing on the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum, 2024 to 2030.
Philip Luke Johnson 