President of Mexico facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids President of the United Mexican States
Presidential Standard
Logo of the President's Office
Incumbent Claudia Sheinbaum since 1 October 2024
Executive branch of the Mexican Government
Style	Madam President (title) (informal) The Honorable (formal) Her Excellency (diplomatic)
Residence	National Palace
Seat	Mexico City
Appointer	Popular vote
Term length	Six years, non-renewable
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Mexico
Precursor	Emperor of Mexico
Formation	10 October 1824; 200 years ago (1824-10-10)
First holder	Guadalupe Victoria
Succession	Line of succession
Deputy	Secretary of Interior
Salary	MX$208,570.92 (monthly)

The President of Mexico is the leader of the country. This person is both the head of state (the main representative of Mexico) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the country). The president also leads the Mexican Armed Forces. The rules for this job come from the Constitution of Mexico.

The first president took office in 1824. Today, Claudia Sheinbaum is the president, starting her term on October 1, 2024. A key rule in Mexico is that the president can only serve one six-year term. This term is called a sexenio. No one who has been president, even for a short time, can run for or serve again. This rule came from the Mexican Revolution and is a very important part of Mexican politics.

Who Can Be President?
How Presidents Are Elected
- Becoming President-Elect
President's Powers
Taking the Oath
Presidential Symbols
President's Home
What Happens if a President Can't Serve?
After Being President
See also

Who Can Be President?

The Mexican Constitution explains who can become president and what powers they have. To be president, a person must meet certain requirements:

Be born in Mexico and have at least one parent who was also born in Mexico.
Have lived in Mexico for at least 20 years.
Be at least 35 years old when the election happens.
Have lived in Mexico for the whole year before the election (short trips away are okay).
Not be a religious leader or minister.
Not be actively serving in the military during the six months before the election.
Not hold certain high government jobs (like a state governor or a secretary of state) unless they leave that job at least six months before the election.
Not have been president before, even temporarily.

The rule against being re-elected as president is very old. It started after Porfirio Díaz was president many times in a row, which led to the Mexican Revolution. This rule is still very strong for the president. However, in 2014, the rules changed for other elected officials like city mayors, congresspeople, and senators. They can now run for a second term, but the president still cannot.

In the past, many presidents were either military officers or lawyers. The last president who was a career military officer was Manuel Ávila Camacho (1940–1946). After him, many presidents were lawyers. More recently, presidents have come from different backgrounds. For example, Vicente Fox studied business, Andrés Manuel López Obrador studied political science, and current President Claudia Sheinbaum studied physics.

How Presidents Are Elected

The presidential term used to be four years. It changed to six years in 1904, then back to four years, and finally settled on six years in 1928. It has been six years ever since.

Mexicans vote directly for their president. The person who gets the most votes wins the election. There is no second round of voting, even if no one gets more than half the votes.

For a long time, one political party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), was almost always in power. This made it seem like Mexico was a one-party state. The president in office would often choose the next candidate for the PRI, a process sometimes called el dedazo (meaning "appointed by the finger"). This candidate was almost guaranteed to win.

However, things started to change. In 1988, there were concerns about election fairness. Then, in 2000, Vicente Fox from the PAN became the first opposition candidate to win the presidency since 1911. This was a very important moment for Mexico's democracy.

Becoming President-Elect

After a presidential election, political parties can challenge the results. These challenges go to the Federal Electoral Tribunal. This court decides if the election was fair. If it was, the court officially declares the winner. The winner then becomes the President-elect. This final decision usually happens in September, about two months after the election.

President's Powers

The Mexican Constitution gives the president many important powers. For many years, especially when the PRI party was very strong, the president had a lot of control over the country. They could even largely choose who would be the next president. This system was sometimes called an "imperial presidency" because the president had so much power.

A special thing about this system was that the old president would choose the new one, but once the new president took office, the old one lost all power. This helped keep the party strong and prevented one person from staying in power for too long.

Today, with more democratic elections, the president's powers are more balanced. The Constitution lists what the president can do. Some of these powers include:

Making sure laws passed by Congress are followed.
Appointing and removing important government officials, like secretaries of state and ambassadors.
Appointing military officers with Senate approval.
Protecting national security and leading the Mexican Armed Forces.
Declaring war with the approval of Congress.
Managing Mexico's relationships with other countries and signing international agreements.
Calling Congress to special meetings if needed.
Helping the courts do their job.
Granting pardons to people convicted of federal crimes.
Giving special rights for inventions or discoveries for a limited time.

Sometimes, the president issues "decrees." These are like laws but have a limited time and purpose. For example, the federal budget is a decree made by Congress. The president can suggest a budget, but Congress decides how to collect and spend money.

Since 1997, Mexico's Congress has often had different political parties in charge, not just the president's party. This means the president often needs to work with other parties to pass major laws. This has made the president's power more limited compared to how it was in the past.

Taking the Oath

When a new president takes office, they make an important promise called an oath. They raise their right arm and say:

Protesto guardar y hacer guardar la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y las leyes que de ella emanen, y desempeñar leal y patrióticamente el cargo de Presidente de la República que el pueblo me ha conferido, mirando en todo por el bien y prosperidad de la Unión; y si así no lo hiciere que la Nación me lo demande.

This means:

I promise to follow and protect the Mexican Constitution and its laws. I promise to serve as President of the Republic, a job the people have given me, with loyalty and patriotism. In everything I do, I will look out for the good and success of the country. If I do not do this, may the Nation hold me accountable.

The president officially starts their term at midnight on October 1st, even if the oath is taken later that day.

Presidential Symbols

Ensign of the President, for use aboard naval vessels

The president wears a special sash called the Mexican Presidential sash. It has the colors of the Mexican flag: green, white, and red. The sash also has the National Seal in gold. The president wears it from their right shoulder to their left hip. When a new president takes office, the old president hands the sash to the new one. This sash is a symbol of the president's power and only the current president can wear it.

The president must wear the sash during important events, such as:

The swearing-in ceremony.
When giving their yearly report to Congress.
During the celebration of the Grito de Dolores (a national holiday).
When meeting new ambassadors from other countries.

The sash is usually worn under the president's coat, but during the swearing-in ceremony, it's worn over the coat so it can be easily passed to the new president.

Each president also gets a Presidential Flag. This flag has the words "Estados Unidos Mexicanos" (United Mexican States) and the national coat of arms printed on it in gold.

President's Home

The official home and workplace of the president is the National Palace. This historic building is in Mexico City, facing the main square called the Plaza de la Constitución. This spot has been a center of power since the time of the Aztec Empire. The current building even uses materials from the palace of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma II.

For many years, presidents lived at Los Pinos. But in 2018, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador moved the official residence back to the National Palace.

What Happens if a President Can't Serve?

If a president cannot continue in office (for example, due to death or resignation), the Constitution has rules for who takes over:

First, the Secretary of the Interior temporarily takes over as a "Provisional President." They can't make big changes to the government without Congress's approval.
Then, Congress must choose a new president within 60 days.
If the president leaves office in the first two years of their term, Congress chooses an "Interim President." New elections are then held within 14 to 18 months for someone to finish the original six-year term.
If the president leaves office in the last four years of their term, Congress chooses a "Substitute President." This person serves until the end of the original six-year term, and then regular elections happen.

These rules have only been used twice since the current Constitution was created. In 1928, after the president-elect was assassinated, Emilio Portes Gil became Interim President. Later, in 1932, President Pascual Ortiz Rubio resigned, and Abelardo L. Rodríguez was appointed to finish his term.

After Being President

Former presidents of Mexico keep the title "president" for life, but people usually call them "ex-presidents." In the past, they also received a lifetime pension, but this was stopped in 2018.

Unlike in some other countries, former Mexican presidents usually live a quiet life after leaving office. They generally do not get involved in the new president's government. This tradition started with President Lázaro Cárdenas. He was chosen by the previous president, Plutarco Elías Calles, who expected to still have influence. But Cárdenas showed he was truly in charge, and Calles was even asked to leave the country. Cárdenas then set the example of not interfering with his successor.

Many former presidents, like Ernesto Zedillo and Felipe Calderón, have lived and worked outside Mexico, often teaching at universities. Others, like Vicente Fox and Andrés Manuel López Obrador, have continued to live in Mexico.