The backup play
After the setback in the Chamber of Deputies, Claudia Sheinbaum already has her card up her sleeve ready. They call it ‘Plan B’. The objective, according to her, is the same: cut privileges and involve citizens more in decisions.
But here’s the juicy detail. The specific proposal is that electoral issues, such as the money received by political parties, can be submitted to popular consultation. “Why don’t we ask the people?” he launched from the National Palace.
“I hope it happens, if it doesn’t happen, nothing happens, but we have a mandate and a conviction.”
There you have it. The textbook phrase for when an initiative falters. They assure that they will send the package to Congress this Monday, although they have not yet defined which chamber it will reach first.
The curious thing is the background speech. Sheinbaum links all of this to the legacy of the ‘Fourth Transformation’. According to her, this movement has shown that honesty and ending privileges… give results.
An argument that sounds good in theory. But any first-year law student would tell you that mixing popular consultations with basic electoral rules is shaky ground. Where is the legal certainty?
The president is confident that her Plan B will pass. But he repeats as a mantra that if he doesn’t… “nothing happens.” Interesting rhetoric to minimize what would be his second legislative defeat in days.
Meanwhile, the official image shows a serene president. The message is clear: there is plan A, plan B and probably even plan C. The question is whether citizens will buy this new version after seeing the first one fall.
