Politics: New Electoral Reform proposal—what is President Sheinbaum's "Plan B" about?
Following the rejection of President Sheinbaum’s initial constitutional reform on electoral matters—opposed by her allies PT and PVEM, who feared severe losses in funding and congressional seats—she submitted “Plan B” to the Senate last week. This more limited proposal seeks to “make democracy cheaper” by cutting costs in municipal governments and state congresses, adjusting the recall referendum (revocación de mandato) timeline, and modifying rules for popular consultations. It proposes amendments to Articles 35, 115, 116, and 134 of the Constitution, as well as changes to the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures (LGIPE) and the General Law of Political Parties (LGPP).
After repairing ties with PT and PVEM, the coalition publicly reaffirmed its unity and pledged support for Plan B on March 14. However, electoral experts criticize the reform on several grounds: its claim that Mexican democracy is too expensive is weak and serves mainly as pretext given that the promised savings in this proposal are minimal (around 0.05% of the federal budget); the measures disproportionately weaken local representation and federalism without addressing democracy’s genuine challenges, such as organized crime participation or technological disruption; and the proposal to advance the recall vote to 2027—coinciding with the midterms—allows the president to campaign overtly for ratification and for her party, granting Morena an unfair electoral advantage and undermining constitutional prohibitions on official campaigning.
This fourth electoral reform attempt (following two under López Obrador and one very recently under Sheinbaum, all previously defeated) is far more modest than prior versions, which aimed at executive control of electoral bodies, the elimination of proportional representation, and the financial strangulation of opposition parties. Despite its limited scope, it has already incurred significant political costs. Although the PT and PVEM initially endorsed the plan, divisions resurfaced over the recall date change, leaving approval uncertain. If passed, Sheinbaum will claim a symbolic victory in eliminating privileges and saving public funds; nonetheless, the 4T has so far failed to entrench Morena’s legally sustained electoral dominance, a goal it is unlikely to abandon.
Now read on...
Register to sample a report