The PRI is sometimes described as "centrist", basically by default, because the PAN and the PRD are much more aggressive about staking out a specific ideological terrain. However, the label is really not ideal. More than centrist, the PRI is amorphous and opportunistic. And depending on the issue, it is outright conservative. As this poll from Excélsior shows, the PRI is basically indistinguishable or even to the right of the PAN on a number of social issues.
Also, Peña Nieto polled at 50 percent of the projected vote according to Excélsior's latest survey, compared to 29 for Vázquez Mota and 20 for AMLO.
Finally, Peña Nieto said that it was simplistic to propose legalization of drugs. Surely, he's right: even if you favor it, "legalization" alone is a slogan that leaves far more unanswered than it solves. If only Peña Nieto would flesh out his thought process a bit, under the pressure of adversarial questioning from people with different points of view. Like, say, in a debate.
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3 comments:
I tend to describe the PRI in my articles as ´right-of-centre´ or ´moderately conservative´. By calling them ´centrist´ one would be suggesting that they sometimes can lean to the left, which they simply don´t.
Of course, political parties are more about preserving themselves than ideological purity, and "left" and "right" are relative terms. The U.S. Democratic Party is not all that different from PAN), but in the very conservative U.S. is considered "left".
I suppose with PRD-MoReNa-PT being more overtly socialist, it does make the merely theoretically socialist PRI (still a member party of Socialist International) conservative, given that it's very name (INSTITUTIONAL Revolutionary Party)says it's purpose is to conserving the gains of the Revolution.
... or, like Conservatives everywhere, willing to make ideologically and economically radical changes if it conserves the power of the existing elites.
PRD-etc. is quite right to sneer at PRIAN.
Jan-Albert, you are wrong in your description of the PRI.
The PRI can lean left, right, or any way.
Whatever works to take and keep power.
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