National Action Party (Mexico) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids National Action Party Partido Acción Nacional
President	Marko Cortés Mendoza
Secretary-General	Noemí Luna Ayala
Senate leader	Julen Rementería del Puerto
Chamber leader	Jorge Romero Herrera
Founder	Manuel Gómez Morín ... and others
Founded	16 September 1939; 85 years ago (1939-09-16)
Headquarters	Av. Coyoacán No. 1546 Col. Del Valle, Benito Juárez, Mexico City
Newspaper	La Nación
Youth wing	Acción Juvenil
Membership	277,665 (2023 est.)
Ideology	Christian humanism Conservatism Christian democracy
Political position	Centre-right to right-wing
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Electoral alliance	Fuerza y Corazón por México
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International ODCA (Regional)
Colours	Blue      White
Anthem	"Himno de Acción Nacional" (lit. Anthem of National Action)
Chamber of Deputies	114 / 500
Senate	18 / 128
Governorships	5 / 32
State legislatures	214 / 1,113
Mayors	312 / 2,043

The National Action Party (known as PAN, from its Spanish name Partido Acción Nacional) is a political party in Mexico. It was started in 1939. The PAN is one of the most important political parties in Mexico. Since the 1980s, it has won many elections at local, state, and national levels.

In the important 2000 Mexican general election, the PAN candidate Vicente Fox became president. This was a huge moment because it was the first time in 71 years that the traditional ruling party, the PRI, did not win the presidency. Six years later, another PAN candidate, Felipe Calderón, also won the presidential election in 2006. From 2000 to 2012, the PAN was the strongest party in both parts of the Mexican Congress, but it did not have a majority. Members of this party are often called Panistas.

Interestingly, both Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderón, who became presidents as PAN candidates, later left the party.

History of the PAN Party

How the PAN Party Started

Manuel Gómez Morín, who founded the PAN in 1939.

The National Action Party was founded in 1939 by Manuel Gómez Morín. He had worked in important government jobs in the 1920s and 1930s. Gómez Morín believed Mexico needed a strong, lasting political party. This party would stand against the growing power of the government after the Mexican Revolution.

When Gómez Morín was the head of UNAM from 1933 to 1935, the government tried to force socialist ideas into education. Gómez Morín defended academic freedom. Through this, he met people and groups who later helped create the PAN in September 1939.

The party's early ideas were influenced by Catholic social teachings. The PAN's newspaper, La Nación, was also started by one of these early members.

The PAN first brought together wealthy and influential Mexicans who did not agree with President Lázaro Cárdenas's changes. They opposed his plans for free public education, taking control of oil companies, and land reform.

Early Election Results

The PAN was first known as a party of "civic example." This meant it was an independent opposition party that usually did not win elections. However, in the 1980s, it started to become a stronger political force, especially in northern Mexico.

In 1946, four PAN members became the first opposition federal deputies in Mexico after the revolution. The next year, Manuel Torres Serranía became the party's first mayor. Alfonso Hernández Sánchez became its first state deputy. In 1962, Rosario Alcalá was the first female candidate for state governor. Two years later, Florentina Villalobos Chaparro became the first female federal deputy. In 1967, Norma Villarreal de Zambrano became the first female mayor.

The official logo for Acción Juvenil, the youth wing of the PAN.

Until the 1980s, the PAN was a smaller opposition party. It was seen as supporting Catholic and business interests. However, it was also known for supporting democracy and the rule of law. This made it different from the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which many saw as corrupt. As the PAN became less focused on religious issues and more Mexicans moved to cities, it started to appeal to more voters. The PAN also strongly called for fair elections, which many people wanted.

In 1989, Ernesto Ruffo Appel became the first opposition governor in Baja California. From 1992 to 2000, PAN candidates won governorships in several states, including Guanajuato, Chihuahua, and Jalisco.

PAN Wins the Presidency in 2000

Vicente Fox, the first PANista to be elected president of Mexico (2000-06). His victory ended more than 70 years of PRI rule.

In the 2000 presidential elections, the PAN's candidate, Vicente Fox Quesada, won with 42.5% of the votes. He became the president of Mexico. Fox was the first candidate from an opposition party to defeat the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in 71 years. This was a huge moment for the PAN and for Mexican democracy.

In the same year's senate elections, the PAN and its allies won 46 out of 128 seats.

Felipe Calderón, who served as President of Mexico from 2006 to 2012.

     States currently led by the PAN.

In the 2006 presidential election, the PAN candidate Felipe Calderón was elected to follow Vicente Fox. Calderón's father was one of the PAN's founders. Felipe Calderón himself had been the party president before. He won the election by a very small margin. The PAN also won many seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, becoming the largest single party in both houses.

Return of the PRI to Presidency

In 2012, the PAN lost the Presidential Election to Enrique Peña Nieto of the PRI. The party also saw a decrease in its number of seats in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

What the PAN Party Believes In

Diego Fernandez de Cevallos, a prominent PAN leader.

The PAN has often been seen as a conservative party in Mexican politics since it began. However, the party itself says it is not just conservative. Its main idea is "National Action." This means they do not strictly follow left-wing or right-wing politics. Instead, they choose policies that best solve the problems Mexico faces at any time. So, they might consider both right-wing and left-wing ideas.

This idea of "National Action" is based on strong Christian values and is part of what is called Christian democracy.

Economic Policies

The PAN is generally on the right side of Mexico's political ideas. They support free enterprise, which means businesses can operate with less government control. They also believe in privatization, which is when the government sells services or companies to private businesses. The PAN supports free trade agreements.

Social Policies

The PAN has taken positions on social issues based on its values. For example, the party has opposed laws that would create civil unions in Mexico City and Coahuila. They believe in protecting the traditional idea of family.

Leaders of the PAN Party

• Manuel Gómez Morín 1939–1949
• Juan Gutiérrez Lascuráin 1949–1956
• Alfonso Ituarte Servín 1956–1959
• José González Torres 1959–1962
• Adolfo Christlieb Ibarrola 1962–1968
• Ignacio Limón Maurer 1968–1969
• Manuel González Hinojosa 1969–1972
• José Ángel Conchelo Dávila 1972–1975
• Efraín González Morfín 1975¹
• Raúl González Schmall 1975 (interim)
• Manuel González Hinojosa 1975–1978
• Avel Vicencio Tovar 1978–1984
• Pablo Emilio Madero 1984–1987
• Luis H. Álvarez 1987–1993
• Carlos Castillo Peraza 1993–1996
• Felipe Calderón 1996–1999
• Luis Felipe Bravo Mena 1999–2005
• Manuel Espino Barrientos 2005–2007
• Germán Martínez Cázares 2007–2009
• César Nava Vázquez 2009–2010
• Gustavo Madero Muñoz 2010–2014
• Cecilia Romero Castillo 2014
• Ricardo Anaya 2014–2015
• Gustavo Madero Muñoz 2015
• Ricardo Anaya 2015–2017¹
• Damián Zepeda Vidales 2017–2018
• Marcelo Torres Cofiño 2018
• Marko Cortés Mendoza 2018–present

_{1.- Resigned to run for president}

Election Results for the PAN Party

Presidential Elections

Election	Candidate	# votes	% vote	Result	Note
1952	Efraín González Luna	285,555	7.8	Defeated
1958	Luis H. Álvarez	705,303	9.4	Defeated
1964	José González Torres	1,034,337	11.0	Defeated
1970	Efraín González Morfín	1,945,070	14.0	Defeated
1976	No Candidate			Did not run
1982	Pablo Emilio Madero	3,700,045	16.4	Defeated
1988	Manuel Clouthier	3,208,584	16.8	Defeated
1994	Diego Fernández de Cevallos	9,146,841	25.9	Defeated
2000	Vicente Fox	15,989,636	42.5	Y Elected	Coalition: Alianza por el Cambio
2006	Felipe Calderón	15,000,284	35.8	Y Elected
2012	Josefina Vázquez Mota	12,786,647	25.4	Defeated
2018	Ricardo Anaya	12,609,472	22.3	Defeated	Coalition: Por México al Frente
2024	Xóchitl Gálvez	16,502,444	28.11	Defeated	Coalition: Fuerza y Corazón por México

Congressional Elections: Chamber of Deputies

Election	Constituency		PR		# of seats	Position	Presidency		Note
	votes	%	votes	%
1946	51,312	2.2			4 / 147	Minority	Miguel Alemán Valdés
1952	301,986	8.3			5 / 161	Minority	Adolfo Ruiz Cortines
1958	749,519	10.2			6 / 162	Minority	Adolfo López Mateos
1964	1,042,396	11.5			20 / 210	Minority	Gustavo Díaz Ordaz
1970	1,893,289	14.2			20 / 213	Minority	Luis Echeverría Álvarez
1976	1,358,403	9.0			20 / 237	Minority	José López Portillo
1982	3,663,846	17.5			51 / 400	Minority	Miguel de la Madrid
1988	3,276,824	18.0			101 / 500	Minority	Carlos Salinas de Gortari
1994	8,664,834	25.8	8,833,468	25.8	119 / 500	Minority	Ernesto Zedillo
1997	7,696,197	25.9	7,792,290	25.9	121 / 500	Minority
2000	14,212,032	38.2	14,321,975	38.3	223 / 500	Minority	Vicente Fox		Coalition: Alliance for Change
2003	8,189,699	30.7	8,219,649	30.7	151 / 500	Minority
2006	13,753,633	33.4	13,845,121	33.4	206 / 500	Minority	Felipe Calderón
2009	9,679,435	28.0	9,714,181	28.0	143 / 500	Minority
2012	12,895,902	25.9	12,971,363	25.9	114 / 500	Minority	Enrique Peña Nieto
2015	8,346,846	22.06	8,379,270	22.06	108 / 500	Minority
2018	697,595	1.25	10,096,588	17.93	83 / 500	Minority	Andrés Manuel López Obrador		Coalition: For Mexico to the Front
2021	3,828,228	7.83	8,969,288	18.25	111 / 500	Minority			Coalition: Va por México

Congressional Elections: Senate

Election	Constituency		PR		# of seats	Position	Presidency		Note
	votes	%	votes	%
1994			8,805,038	25.7	25 / 128	Minority	Ernesto Zedillo
1997			7,880,966	26.1	33 / 128	Minority
2000	14,208,973	38.1	14,339,963	38.2	60 / 128	Minority	Vicente Fox		Coalition: Alliance for Change
2006	13,889,159	33.5	14,035,503	33.6	52 / 128	Minority	Felipe Calderón
2012	13,126,478	26.3	13,245,088	26.3	38 / 128	Minority	Enrique Peña Nieto
2018	600,423	1.07	9,971,804	17.59	23 / 128	Minority	Andrés Manuel López Obrador		Coalition: For Mexico to the Front

See also

In Spanish: Partido Acción Nacional para niños

• National Action Party Jalisco
• Mexican nationalism
• History of democracy in Mexico
• List of political parties in Mexico