Politics: A quick review of the laws passed during the legislature now concluding
On the economic front, considering the country’s lackluster economic performance, the main pieces of legislation that were approved in the session now concluding—the Federal Revenue Law and Federal Expenditure Law—offered no surprises. The bills ratified excessive spending to maintain social subsidies and address the pressures of unavoidable and growing liabilities, but in the process completely neglected boosting public investment and strengthening other mechanisms that could spur much needed economic growth.
Perhaps the most controversial legislation approved in this session was the Water Law. In the end, the version finally adopted did not satisfy business or sectors of the peasant farmer movement and NGOs. The bill’s response to serious problems in the sector was to proclaim the political goal of making water a human right rather than a commodity but also to concentrate decision making in the hands of the government’s National Water Commission (Conagua).
On the level of public security, the main piece of legislation presented seeks to combat the widespread and fast growing phenomenon of extortion. Measures include mandatory pre-trial detention for extortionists, beefing up the faculties of the Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection, and improving coordination between institutions on a federal, state, and municipal level. Absent were concrete measures or instruments to address the problem.
Reforms were also approved to the Amparo Law, dealing with protective injunctions against government acts, the Federal Tax Code, and the Organic Law of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice, with the purpose of facilitating tax collection. Business circles feel the changes were negative, given that as part of the government’s aggressive revenue-collection policy, they leave taxpayers practically defenseless. Bills were also approved dealing with the environment and healthcare, among other issues.
The main problem with the legislative proposals and their final approval is that the center of concern of the executive and legislative branches has not been the need to boost economic growth, but rather to address political considerations. The legislative process continues to be plagued by the political logic of concentrating power in the hands of the presidency and a refusal to engage in dialogue with society and the opposition to reach consensus agreements.
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