Fernanda Aguirre (born 1961) was President of Mexico from 2007 to 2008 (succeeding Cristina Nieves and preceding Alberto Morena) and from 2008 (succeeding Morena).
Biography[]
Rise to power[]
Fernanda Aguirre was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico in 1961, and she became a journalist before entering politics with the social democratic Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD). She was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2000, leading her party to win 15.72% of the vote and 6 seats, behind PAN's 36.74% and 15 seats and the PRI's 47.54% and 19 seats. In the ensuing three-way presidential election, she placed in third with 20.5% of the vote to PAN candidate Rodrigo Almonte's 34.1% and PRI candidate Cristina Nieves' 45.5%. Aguirre pushed progressive legislation through the Chamber, including bills establishing public housing and other public amenities. By 2006, Aguirre had led her party from being a third party to being the largest party in the Chamber, with 39.56% of the vote and 16 seats. However, she lost the next several presidential elections to the well-established PRI. Late 2006 saw the PRD's fortunes rapidly improve as a devastating economic recession eroded the PRI's popularity, and PAN was subjected to criticism for its continuing fiscal conservatism.
Presidency[]
In early 2007, Aguirre led her party to win 40.9% of the vote and 16 seats, and the PRD resumed being the largest party in parliament. In a hotly contested three-way election, Aguirre won 35.6% of the vote to PAN candidate Alberto Morena's 32.5% and PRI incumbent Nieves' 31.9%, finally securing the presidency for the PRD in a shocking upset against the establishment. Felipe Zapatero took Aguirre's seat in the Chamber of Deputies, while Aguirre - entering office with a 43.57% approval rating - set about solving the economic crisis. By the time that Aguirre entered office, Mexico was $55 million in debt, and the budget improved by $1 million on a weekly basis. The Chamber voted 25-5 to keep the car tax and 21-15 against a PRD-proposed air travel tax, and Aguirre chose to prioritize gradual economic growth over repealing laws, which could potentially damage her popularity. The PRD won a major victory when their early 2007 fundraising season netted them $298 million for their war chest, while PAN placed in second with $223 million (a decrease) and the PRI placed in third with $218 million (an increase). The Chamber went on to vote 30-3 to keep universal healthcare; by then, Mexico's debt had decreased to $41 million, still with a weekly improvement of $1 million. The PRD government then backed a 21-8 bill to abolish the air pollution monitor, increasing the weekly recovery rate to $2 million. The Chamber then voted 20-2 against the legalization of prostitution, 19-9 to keep the income tax, and 15-14 to keep sexual education. In the mid-2007 general election, the PRD rose to 43.86% of the vote and 17 seats, while PAN fell to 29.12% and 12 seats and PRI fell to 27.02% and 11 seats. In the ensuing presidential election, Aguirre and PAN candidate Morena tied with 34.7% each, while Nieves placed in third with 30.6%. Aguirre's re-election was not as safe as the PRD party would have liked it to be, as only the fact that the constitution awarded tied elections to the incumbent led to her serving a second term in spite of Morena's near-victory.
Aguirre's second term saw the economy continue to improve; by the same week as her re-elelction, the economy was at negative $16 million with a weekly $2 million improvement. The Chamber voted 31-2 to approve a travel visa program, 17-16 to approve a national football league (which the PRD voted against), and 29-5 to approve an airport tax. A week later, a government poll revealed that support for a woman president had increased to 50%, likely due to Aguirre's popularity. The Chamber then voted 17-15 to keep the car tax (as the economy had reached negative $40 million due to the implementation of new programs), 20-8 to keep the pollution tax, 28-5 to keep public housing, and 33-2 to keep the Olympic Games. In early 2008, PAN deputy Cristina Errazuriz defected to the PRD. A week later, as the economy improved, fundraising fell across the board. The PRD rose $253 million, the PAN rose $185 million, and the PRI rose $175 million. The Chamber went on to vote 21-13 against a driving license program. In the early 2008 elections, the PRD won 43.76% of the vote and 17 seats, PAN fell to 28.93% and 12 seats, and the PRI rose to 27.32% and 11 seats. Errazuriz lost her seat, as the seat count remained the same for all parties, leading to the PAN winning back their lost seat. In the ensuing presidential election, Aguirre suprisingly placed in third with 31.3% of the vote, with Alberto Morena winning the ellection with 35.2% of the vote and Nieves placing in second with 33.5%.
Return to power[]
After the presidential election, Aguirre called for five weeks of protests against PAN, weakening Morena's popularity. In late 2008, she led her party to win 47.74% of the vote and 19 seats, picking up two new seats (Errazuriz and Gustavo Grijalva) and reducing PAN and PRI to 11 and 10 seats, respectively. By the time of the presidential election, the PRD had a 50.21% approval rating, and Aguirre narrowly returned to power with 35.8% of the vote to Morena's 34.2% and Nieves' 29.9%. Aguirre left her Chamber seat to Daniel Zamora, and her first act was to back a 19-16 vote to keep the car tax, as the economy had reached $63 million with just a $2 million weekly improvement rate.