(Expansion) – In six consecutive mornings, President López Obrador has reviled the middle class with countless pejorative labels. His anger stems from the defeat his party suffered in the Congress of the Union and, particularly, in Mexico City (CDMX) in the elections of June 6.
He attributes the loss of mayoralties in the entity that was the bastion of his party to the fickleness of the middle class for being convinced by the opposition narrative. In his attempt to divert attention and protect those close to him, he omits from the equation the carelessness in the efforts of those who governed this city.
A few days ago The New York Times published a report on the accident on Line 12 of the Mexico City subway. According to experts, the poor welding caused the metal bolts, which are the pieces that connect the steel girders to the concrete slab, to give themselves and, with it, the car collapsed. The report describes it as political opportunism and a series of sloppy works. The incident claimed dozens of lives and produced irreparable costs.
The aforementioned research indicates that the political crisis hits on several fronts:
1) The administration that rushed construction of the metro and rushed decisions that resulted in failures;
2) the company that built this section;
3) the administration that received, stopped and intervened in the work; Y
4) the current administration due to budget cuts and lack of adequate maintenance.
The problem has been that, instead of assuming responsibility and pointing out the culprits, the president has diverted attention and attacks to the middle class, for not understanding his government plan and succumbing to the persuasion of his eternal rivals: the conservatives.
Instead of showing solidarity with the victims and delivering the justice they ask for, the president has focused on the electoral results. Not only that, but, instead of understanding that the citizenship poured their frustration at the polls, they choose to blame the middle class for their aspirational , hypocritical, selfish and individualistic condition.
Ironically, it is precisely the middle class that serves as a metal bolt in our society. It represents that point of union between the different social classes, in addition to being the support of democracy. If attacks on the middle class persist, the middle class may wear down to a structure incapable of supporting the government tram.
According to INEGI, in 2020 there were 14.5 million households belonging to the middle class, which represents 42.4% of the total. It is a very heterogeneous group, as it includes families with monthly incomes that range between 6,260 and 16,000 pesos. However, they present similar perceptions of life, habits and political preferences, so they can represent a decisive factor in elections.
In general, the heads of these families have higher education, save part of their income and work in the formal sector, for which they pay their corresponding share of taxes.
The middle class connects to the bottom and top of the social pyramid. It drives economic growth and balances democracy. This group does not want political turmoil that puts their socioeconomic situation at risk, so they will opt for governments that offer more cohesion and stability.
A strong middle class promotes the development of human capital, creates a stable demand for goods and services, cultivates the next generation of entrepreneurs, and supports democratic institutions. They are the ones who constantly join their voices to demand conditions that allow them to achieve their goals.
It is not that they are easy to convince, but that their critical thinking allows them to visualize the conditions they want to see reflected and to punish those who do not provide them. This government must not repeat the mistake of its predecessors of ignoring the voice of this class and appealing mainly to the lower class, since the middle class will always look for whoever wants to listen.
None of the above is new. Aristotle declared, millennia ago, that the best political community is one in which the middle class is in control and outnumbers the other two. The president’s purpose in directing his anger at the middle class is unknown. If his intention is to justify the defeat in CDMX instead of assuming the consequences of his omissions, he underestimates the ability of citizens to demand.
If your desire is to divert attention and protect your contenders for the presidency in 2024, the strategy may backfire, as the middle class may shift inertia toward political alternation.
Dismissing from the responsibilities of a poor welding in the subway, or from the efforts of its proteges, can result in a wear of the bolts that support the structure of our socio-political structure. The collapse of the wagon brought an adverse and irreparable impact for many people; that of our democracy would bring consequences for our country.
Editor’s Note: Antonio Michel studied International Relations at ITAM, where he is a professor, and has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Maxwell University. He worked for almost 7 years in the Federal Public Administration, in the Ministries of Foreign Relations, Social Development, Energy and Government. His passion is international affairs, political affairs and public administration. Follow him on and on. The opinions published in this column belong exclusively to the author.
