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Juan Azcárraga, Director of Ipsos Public Affairs in Mexico
The Mood of the Mexicans: the Tequila effect.
Juan Azcárraga, Director of Ipsos Public Affairs in Mexico
The Mood of the Mexicans: the Tequila effect.
In Mexico, when we are with family or friends - and usually with tequila in hand - discussing political, social, and economic issues, we often say that we are a short memory society because we easily forget the promises of politicians who do not meet them. We forget their names and the problems of our society. We just remember things that impacted us significantly.
As an incipient democracy, we remember the PRI party leaving the presidency after 70 years in 2000 and the election of Vicente Fox. And we forget that Congress has not yet approved any reforms to improve our economic growth. Currently below 3.4%, our growth has reached its lowest level in 15 years - and the point is not even on our public agenda! When the new party arrived in 2000, expectations were high in terms of democracy, economy, social development, and welfare of the Mexicans.
Today, 11 years later, we feel politicians owe us a great deal. A recent study reveals that insecurity is a major issue according to 41% of the respondents and that perception that the national economy has worsened is now in 44% of the Mexican minds.
Let's look at the past recent years. In 2009, we had one breakdown after the other: influenza outbreak and sudden drop of tourism, strange death of the Secretary of Interior, ignition of the global economic crisis. In a study, we saw apathy of the Mexican towards political parties. A few days before the intermediate election of 2009, a new force emerged - 'null vote' - with 11% of the total vote intentions, above the 3rd force (the leftist party or PRD), that had 8.5%. During 2009, authorities reported that extreme poverty went from 13.8 million people in 2006 to 18.2 million in 2008, leaving a reversal in economic sense.
2010 was a year of slow recovery and the war against the 'narco' was accentuated, with too many dead feature in the breakings news of the media. People were upset by increases in taxes and prices. Although that the worst of the global crisis seemed to be behind us, pessimism prevailed toward economic recovery. Half of those who had lost their jobs in the crisis had not recovered in 2010 and crimes with violence in the city of Mexico reached 21.5% over the year.
Today what we are discussing - with tequila in our hand is -whether we want to let the PRI with Enrique Peña Nieto return to presidency in 2012, or stay with incumbent PAN party which has no candidate so far, or have the left party (PRD) and Marcelo Ebrard defeat them.
What we could not make out from research is whether our short memory is genetic or if it due to the fact that we are debating major issues with tequila in our hand. While it is true that today Mexico is living a difficult situation, with many problems to solve, it is also true that society is taking more active participation in the fight for the great social causes. The claims for greater security and initiatives to improve the quality of education are clear examples. Even though it is a minority, there are many people working in silence for a better country. Hopefully more citizens will join these efforts. Ipsos besides making a study to define the great social causes is collaborating with studies to support education.
And to be clear about the Mexican’s mood, we have a record of 80% of Mexicans who state they feel happy. That could explain why we forget about major issues, because we are used to taking a few tequilas to enjoy life and those happy moments with friends and family help us forget the rest! Cheers! 17 February, 2011
L’Arum titan (Amorphophallus titanum) est une plante de la famille des Aracées. Son inflorescence est la plus grande fleur du monde (mais pas la plus grande fleur simple, cette distinction appartenant à la Rafflesia). Elle mesure plus de deux mètres. Comme pour les genres voisins Arum et Calla, l’inflorescence consiste en un spadice charnu odorant sur lequel sont fixées les fleurs monoïques, le tout enveloppé par un spathe qui a l’aspect d’un pétale.
Afficher L'Amérique Latine et Mexique sur une carte plus grande
Bienvenue sur le site dédié aux cactus et autres plantes succulentes
Un moment de détente !
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