Analysis of the results of the July 2009 legislative elections in Mexico

Authors:
Luis Alberto López Rafaschieri and José Alberto López Rafaschieri
www.morochos.net

In the Mexican elections of July 5, 2009, were elected the 500 members of the National Congress. The results of these elections gave victory to the PRI, with 37% of the votes, leaving in second place the PAN -the current government's party- with 28% of the ballots, followed by the PRD who received just 12%.

According to these results, it is noted that, from an ideological point of view, Mexicans voters shifted from the left and right toward the center, as the parties representing these tendencies -the PRD and the PAN- suffered a significative loss of voters regarding the legislative elections of 2006. In 2009 the PAN got 15% less representation than in 2006, while the loss of representation of the PRD was close to 59%, so the Mexican radical left is the greatest loser in these elections.

However there is another reading of these results. We cannot ignore the fact that Mexican voters punished the ruling party by changing the control of the legislature in favor of the opposition PRI, which implies that there is disenchantment with the policies of the PAN.

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