CIAO DATE: 02/2013
December 2012
Center for Strategic and International Studies
When Enrique Peña Nieto took office as president of Mexico on December 1, he already had a list of priority issues, a few of which he had briefly discussed with his U.S. counterpart on a last-minute visit to Washington on November 27. But lists and priorities must be understood in the context of the relationship that already exists, the successes and failures of the past 6 to 12 years, and the economic and security concerns of both partners. More importantly, the intensity of the bilateral relationship, the high level of trade and investment flows, and the cultural and political interdependence between the two countries means that we will not see a dramatic departure from what we have seen in recent times. Over the past two decades, the countries have become true partners, and the depth of this partnership will in many ways guide the way forward. From the Mexican perspective, the election of a president from the formerly hegemonic Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) after 12 years of government by the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) signals a change in style rather than substance.
Resource link: Recommendations for a New Administration: Safeguarding Progress with Mexico [PDF]