The Power of Labels in Politics
In politics, labels matter—they are indeed a tool for political communication. This is why Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidential campaign utilized the slogan of “continuity with change” and hinted at the “second floor of the Fourth Transformation.” The first report by the president could easily be announced as the seventh report of the Fourth Transformation, not due to arithmetic error but as a strategic move.
Strategic Continuity: Blending Achievements
By extending the timeframe, Sheinbaum orders the narrative. Comparing to 2018, she can highlight a decrease in poverty, reduced inequality, acquired and constructed refineries (Deer Park and Olmeca), advanced infrastructure, and ongoing social programs. Moreover, she can show a decrease in homicides over eleven months and attribute it to a strategy that wasn’t born overnight. The message is clear: transformation is advancing; the past was the foundation, the present is the “second floor.” This reading politically benefits her—avoiding implicit criticism of the founding leader—and shifts the comparison to “those before” in different colors.
Transforming Rights into Measurable Services
Another communicational decision is converting rights into measurable services. Instead of discussing health in abstract terms, Sheinbaum focuses on 31 hospitals by December 2025, 300 reactivated operating rooms, and a program, “Laboratorio en tu Clínica,” expanding from 553 to 3,387 sampling centers. The goal isn’t vague access to mid-level education but specific promises: National Bachillerato and the end of COMIPEMS in the Valley of Mexico (except UNAM/IPN). In housing, it’s not just setting targets but also eliminating “unpayable” debts that could alleviate up to five million families. The aim is for citizens to see and count improvements: nearby schools, laboratory tests in their neighborhoods, deeds in hand. The narrative gains strength when people experience these changes.
Applying the Same Method to Security
The same approach applies to security. Instead of stating “we are improving,” Sheinbaum lands on a specific number: a 25% decrease in homicides, “22 fewer per day,” and attributes the drop in critical states to a strategy. Simple data travels well in political communication, and it travels even better when paired with a reform: proactively pursuing extortion and accepting anonymous denunciations.
The Core of the Report: A Shift in Model
The heart of the report—seventh in spirit—is a model shift: the state guarantees it doesn’t replace private initiative but encourages it with public investment. This accommodates trains (with a 2025 public investment of 180 million USD), roads, ports, and airports (with a public-private mix), and a water chapter discussing “desprivatizing” 4,000 million cubic meters and 20 potabilization and sanitation projects. In energy, the seal is Pemex and CFE as symbols of sovereignty; Deer Park and Olmeca “all-in” and a 2030 goal of 35% renewables. The implicit message: sovereignty and private investment can coexist.
Editorial Insights: Navigating the Informe
As an editorialist, I recall my annual mantra: no governor shoots themselves in the foot in their report. There are no critical reports. Optimistic lenses are chosen, figures align with the narrative, and external auditors—opposition, academia, press—are left to debate and construct alternative narratives. This happened with growth: instead of saying “we grow little,” it’s stated “we grow despite decline forecasts.” The same goes for medication availability: the government claims over 90%; opponents will request logistics, filled prescriptions, and expose the suffering of the 10% not supplied.
Citizen Perception: Consistency and Political Gain
What do citizens read? Consistency. Sheinbaum promises continuity, delivering a “seventh” report inventorying two six-year terms as one. There’s political gain: movement unity, cabinet cohesion, gratitude to governors, and a patriotic closing (“I won’t betray,” “we’re doing well and will do even better”). The message to Washington is cooperation, not subordination; to the domestic market, public works as a driver and services as proof.
- Question: What are the risks associated with communicating through numbers?
- Answer: Communicating through numbers creates high expectations, which can backfire locally if promises like laboratory opening in a neighborhood aren’t met. Another risk is crucial measures going unnoticed, like the shift in strategy to combat insecurity, to avoid criticizing the previous six years’ strategy.
If I were to survey today, I’d bet the continuity narrative remains profitable: it’s coherent, recognizable, and backed by symbols (Pemex/CFE, trains, hospitals, water, social programs) that the base understands. The government’s words aren’t the best PowerPoint of the year; it’s the daily experience that matters: operating surgical rooms, fulfilling prescriptions, delivering homes, genuinely pursuing extortion, and decreasing homicides where people live. If these promises materialize, Sheinbaum’s “seventh” report will be more than a rhetorical device; if not, the people will hold her accountable.
In Conclusion
Claudia Sheinbaum skillfully positioned her first report as the seventh to request evaluation based on trajectory, not a single year; to honor the founder without standing in his shadow; and to anchor the public conversation with a simple idea: transformation is ongoing and showing tangible results.
The opposition will do its job, and it’s healthy for them to. But for now, the communicational gamble has worked: the audience heard about a country not starting from scratch and a government not planning to change course. That was the central bet of the “7mo. Informe de Gobierno.”
