Mexico's Next President | Challenges and Recommendations

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Mexico’s June 2, 2024, election will be the largest and most consequential in the country’s history. In addition to electing a president (very possibly the country’s first female president), voters will choose members of both chambers of Congress and numerous governors, state legislators, and mayors. Changes to Mexico’s election law will also facilitate the ability of Mexicans living abroad to cast ballots. These elections are significant not solely due to their size nor the gender of possible victors but also because of the breadth and depth of the issues that will confront whoever takes office on October 1, 2024. All new leaders take office facing challenges and opportunities and Mexico’s next president will be no different. It is worth noting, however, that this presidential transition is a full two months shorter as inauguration day was moved forward from the traditional December 1 date. 

Given the panoply of issues the new president will face and the limited time available to develop strategies to address them, the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute prepared this booklet of recommendations on six of the most salient issues for consideration by the presidential candidates and their campaign teams. This booklet includes sections addressing energy, migration, USMCA and North America, security, water, and nearshoring. Each of these issues is relevant to Mexico, the Mexico–US bilateral relationship, and to citizens on both sides of the border. While there will be many other issues on the new president’s agenda, success in addressing those included in this booklet will help to spur economic growth, improve the quality of life of Mexican citizens, and create an even more productive relationship with the United States. Strong collaboration with Mexico’s northern neighbor and top trading partner must be a key facet of the strategy to resolve many of the “intermestic” challenges that Mexico’s new leader will face. While this booklet does not directly or specifically address the 2024 US elections, they will impact the relationship the new Mexican president will have with her/his US counterpart following the January 20, 2025, inauguration.