For a variety of reasons, Mexico has been unable to have a peaceful, uneventful transition from one president to the next. This time the circumstances are especially complicated. Mexico faces an electoral process where all three major parties have a solid opportunity to win the presidency. The election will be carried out against the backdrop of weak political institutions, a dwindling regard for the rule of law, and the built-up frustration of a segment of the population that feels it has been neglected for the past 20 years. Hardly a day goes by without the newspapers mentioning the sexenio crisis.
Every reporter seems to be instructed to ask every public official if another one is on the way.
Radio, television, and magazines feature stories on the subject continuously. Academics, intellectuals, financial institutions, think tanks, and international organizations are all addressing it. In fact, it seems that the entire Mexican population is obsessed with the issue and talks about it with a morbid fascination. One Mexican citizen seems to be more obsessed with the topic than anyone else. If the government is trying to reduce inflation, it is only because lower inflation reduces the possibility of a crisis.