Ricardo Pascoe Pierce
Today, the National Action Party (PAN) began the process it has called its relaunch. The event was held at the Frontón México, with a capacity of 3,000, while another 7,000 PAN grassroots activists gathered on the esplanade of the Monument to the Revolution. The moderator of the event inside the Frontón greeted those present: governors, senators, federal and local deputies, municipal presidents, and mayors. She also acknowledged other personalities in attendance: Xóchitl Gálvez, Guadalupe Acosta Naranjo, Claudio X González, and, via video link, Enrique Krauze and Lorenzo Córdova, among others.
Several young PAN leaders spoke, finally giving way to a message from Jorge Romero, the PAN’s national president. Romero spoke for 40 minutes. He divided his speech into two parts. First, he reviewed the disaster that Morena’s government is turning out to be, emphasizing a growing trend toward authoritarianism. He then explained the PAN’s proposal “in a new era,” as he put it. He ventured a categorical programmatic definition: the PAN is returning to its founding principles and doctrines. Although he did not elaborate on this core point of the relaunch, it is understood that everything proposed in 1939 remains the same and valid in 2025. He announced that the PAN is open to citizen candidacies and, in addition, to society. He referred to the importance of having candidates who are recognized for their solvency in their communities.
He mentioned that PAN membership will be opened up as easily as opening the corresponding page and clicking, and the membership will then be valid. The method of selecting candidates via surveys, internal assemblies, or open voting will also be opened up. He made it clear that the PAN is capable of winning elections on its own and will not depend on coalitions or alliances. This was a clear reference to previous experiences with the PRD, MC, and PRI, which the PAN leadership considered negative. Emulating AMLO, the PAN says, “To hell with them!”
His speech was received with great enthusiasm by those in attendance at the Frontón México. It was precisely at that same site where, 86 years ago, the National Action Party was founded. The symbolism did not go unnoticed: instead of a refounding, the PAN is now offering a relaunch. The difference between the two concepts is not insignificant: a refounding would have represented the challenge of having to propose new doctrines and probably other party structures. The relaunch, on the other hand, allows, as Romero announced, for the same doctrinal positions to be assumed as those approved in 1939. Those doctrines, in any case, will have to be adjusted to the conditions of Mexican reality from 2025 onwards. The party’s internal structure and decision-making mechanisms will apparently remain intact.
It is indeed noteworthy that there has been a change in the PAN logo. The box enclosing the letters P-A-N has disappeared. Circularity is now the central feature of the PAN image. Circularity is a symbol with many interpretations in different cultures. It speaks of uniqueness, totality, movement, search, and indecision. In the context of today’s discussion, the new symbol representing the PAN speaks of novelty.
Romero announced a PAN congress, or convention, at the end of November to make the relevant decisions regarding the strategic lines he outlined at the Frontón. When he made that announcement, it raised a question among some attendees. Is what was announced at the event at the Frontón México already a package of firm decisions, or is everything up in the air until the end of November, when the proposals will be confirmed or rejected? This is how the event unfolded inside the Frontón México. Outside, on the esplanade of the Monument to the Revolution, PAN members from various states of the Republic gathered, mainly from states close to Mexico City, such as the State of Mexico, Querétaro, Puebla, and Morelos. Obviously, there were also contingents from the capital itself. The contingents outside the Frontón shared their opinions on the announcements made by the PAN’s national president. There was a widespread desire for the party to do well. However, they also expressed some skepticism about the course set by its leadership.
There were doubts and a certain amount of sarcasm about the announcement of the event to be held in November. Several comments were heard questioning whether there would be any real change with the “relaunch” of the party. The most common reflection was that the leaders were the same ones who had governed the party for decades. Why, they reasoned, would they have to change now? Those who lead the party before November will be the same after November. Another opinion revolved around the proposal to offer citizen candidacies. In the opinion of some, rigid party structures would mean that candidacies would be for party leaders, and few, if any, for citizen candidates without party affiliation. One opinion was even that the party publicly offered to accept candidacies in the 2018, 2021, and 2024 elections. However, when it came time to make decisions, the candidacies always fell to the party leadership.
Another opinion was that not going with the PRI, in particular, would jeopardize possible victories. This opinion was particularly prominent among those familiar with the situation in Nuevo León. They did not share Romero’s view that alliances were negative. They did not feel that being in an alliance compromised their PAN essence. “We are not that weak,” said another. Some favor alliances with the PRI, others with MC. Some even viewed alliances with the PRD favorably. It is difficult to know for sure, but at first glance, it seems that some points of the plan presented by Romero, which those inside the Frontón applauded with approval, are evaluated with different criteria by the party members outside on the street, based on their experience on the ground. Is there a disconnect between those inside the Frontón México and those outside? Fundamentally, a dose of self-criticism about the party’s mistakes, problems, and political failures would have been important in closing the gap in opinion between those inside and those outside.
The feeling left by Saturday’s relaunch of the PAN is that there is still much work to be done to convince both friends and strangers of the correctness of the course set. Hence, the event aroused a mixture of euphoria and skepticism.
@rpascoep
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