Sheinbaum Opposes Spouse Law, Cites INE Gender Parity Rules

President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her position on the so-called Spouse Law, stating that such reforms are not necessary in Mexico. The initiative promotes the election of current governors’ wives under the principle of gender alternation.

“I do not believe these types of laws are needed, beyond their constitutionality or not. I believe that with the agreement made by the National Electoral Institute (INE), which must come in an electoral reform, that parties have to propose half of their candidates as women and the other half as men,” said the president during her morning press conference on Monday, December 22.

Sheinbaum specified that by complying with the gender quota, there will be enough women governors who would previously be candidates.

“To avoid anything that is guiding or preventing a person from participating, I do not think it is necessary to legislate man-woman, woman-man alternation,” she added.

What Has Sheinbaum Said About the ‘Spouse Law’?

For several days, President Sheinbaum has expressed her stance on the Spouse Law and admitted that “the debate got good” on the topic due to the reform approved in San Luis Potosí.

Meanwhile, the president called on state congresses to analyze the proposal, which has pros and cons because the INE requires political parties to have gender parity.

“We have to see if it is appropriate or not (…) the part about forcing there to be once a woman, once a man in the states, we have to see if it is legally appropriate because many times it is guided, not necessarily by gender or parity,” she added.

Sheinbaum recalled the INE’s scheme by demanding gender parity, for example, in the 17 governorships to be elected in 2027, where there would be nine female candidates and eight male candidates.

What Do We Know About the ‘Spouse Law’?

Morena expressed its position against the Spouse Law promoted by the Congress of San Luis Potosí; in this case, it would be Senator Ruth González, wife of Governor Ricardo Gallardo, who would run for the state governorship.

The legislator from the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) warned that with or without the support of the burgundy party, she will seek to succeed her husband.

The party asserted that it is an unconstitutional action because it does not allow citizens to decide freely by imposing political party candidacies with relatives of state leaders.

“Although the reform (anti-nepotism) will apply until 2030 so that there is no longer succession of public positions by relatives, we in Morena have determined that we will apply it now in the next election, and we do not agree that this is legislated in that way, which is why we are preparing an unconstitutionality action,” claimed Luisa María Alcalde, president of Morena.