Judicial elections: will Mexico’s bold political experiment come at a cost?

Mexico's historic judicial elections attracted little attention, but the implications could be far-reaching

President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, shows her finger after casting her vote at a polling station for the country's first judicial elections
(Image credit: Mariana Maytorena/ObturadorMX/Getty Images)

Mexico is about to become “the first country in the world where every judge on every court is chosen by popular vote”, says The Economist. Judicial elections this month attracted little attention, with just 13% of voters turning out. Yet the implications could be far-reaching, with the contests overwhelmingly won by candidates with links to Morena, the left-wing ruling party. Supporters argue that reform is needed to root out corrupt judges. Opponents say that politicised judges remove the last meaningful check on the government of president Claudia Sheinbaum, which already commands congressional super-majorities.

What does Sheinbaum's consolidation of power mean for Mexico?

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Markets editor

Alex is an investment writer who has been contributing to MoneyWeek since 2015. He has been the magazine’s markets editor since 2019. 

Alex has a passion for demystifying the often arcane world of finance for a general readership. While financial media tends to focus compulsively on the latest trend, the best opportunities can lie forgotten elsewhere. 

He is especially interested in European equities – where his fluent French helps him to cover the continent’s largest bourse – and emerging markets, where his experience living in Beijing, and conversational Chinese, prove useful. 

Hailing from Leeds, he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford. He also holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Manchester.